What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay There
by BirdKidKirby
Summary: Sort of an alternate ending to FANG. When Max and Fang get too heated in Las Vegas, unexpected problems arise. They leave to try and make it better, but can they truly live a normal life? AU. Major Fax, Some Eggy later.
1. Prologue: Vegas

What Happens in Vegas

Prologue: Vegas

**Max POV:**

I stared out the huge window in our hotel room, feeling the tears sliding off of my cheeks. Not even the amazing view of Las Vegas's blinking multicolored lights made me feel better. How could they kick me out? After everything I had done for them! I…it was just…I could feel my thoughts getting hysterical, and my sobs were mimicking. Strong arms wound around my waist, and callused hands gently brushed away my tears. He didn't say anything, which was better. I just needed to let it all out.

"H-h-how could they do this to m-me? To us?" I sobbed uncontrollably into Fang's shoulder. "At l-l-least _you _didn't b-betray me."

"Shhh, baby. I know. How could I leave you?" Fang's hands rubbed soothing circles between my wings. He knew just how to calm me down. His rough but gentle hands ran up and down my back. My hands shot out like lightning to grab his wrists when his hands began to slide too low. Fang grinned sheepishly.

When my sobs finally subsided to small hiccups, I pulled back. Fang's obsidian eyes bored into mine. I smiled as best I could, letting him know I felt better. "Want to go gamble?" Fang asked, his eyes turning to stare longingly out the window. I frowned.

"We don't have any money."

"Who does that stop? The whole point of Las Vegas is to gamble with money you don't have."

I smacked his shoulder. "That doesn't mean it should be encouraged!" He smirked, and my heartbeat went all mushy. I looked over at the glowing red clock display next to the bed. 7:47. I pulled away from Fang, going to get in the shower so I could relax. "Maybe tomorrow." Fang gave a disappointed sigh before grabbing my arm and pulling me back to him.

"Fang, what do you-" His perfect lips found mine, wasting no time opening my mouth and French-kissing me. I sighed in utter bliss as Fang pulled us onto the fluffy double bed. "What do you think I want?" he murmured. I just moaned in response. Fang's hands started to get adventurous, so I grabbed his wrists-again! What was with him? I pulled away, coming to my senses. "I'm getting in the shower." I said firmly.

His eyes got a devilish light in them. "Can I come?" He barely ducked in time to dodge my fist. "Sorry!" He held his hands up in surrender.

Now kind of irritated and a little confused, I went into the bathroom and shut the door. What on earth had gotten into Fang today? He wasn't normally like this. Maybe it was because we were alone. Maybe because we were in Las Vegas, aka Sin City.

I pulled my clothes off as the shower warmed up. Then I let the hot water wash away all of my scrambled thoughts.

**Fang POV:**

I leaned back on the bed, letting my thoughts wander while I waited for Max to get out of the shower. I tried to focus on something other than a mental picture of her naked and wet which, believe me, was harder than it sounds. I was just a teenage guy, for God's sake! At least Max didn't take long in the shower. Nudge took _forever,_ so Max always forced her to go last.

I rolled over. I missed the Flock almost more than I could bare, but I couldn't let Max know that. I was her emotional rock, her support. Stupid Dylan could never have that position.

I gritted my teeth. Damn Dylan. He had shown up all blond-haired and blue-eyed, claiming that he was Max's true love. Well tough luck, buddy! That spot's been taken. I felt my eyebrows scrunch up with worry, something Max told me was incredibly cute, as doubt wormed into my mind. What if Dylan did end up winning over Max? I don't think I could take it. Max was everything to me.

I sighed. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a fifteen-year-old boy. I only have so much self control, no matter what anyone else thinks. Yes, even I, the great, emotionless Fang, feel horny sometimes. Or most of the time. I couldn't help it! Max was just so…so…_Max_.

I don't think she noticed what a great body she had. I mean, that definitely isn't the only reason I love her, but it doesn't hurt. If Iggy wasn't blind, he would probably be fighting for her too. Which would be bad, because then I would have to bash his skull in. But Max was worth it, even if she drove me insane in more ways than one. She even has a suggestive _name_! I bet she is the maximum ride….

"Your turn." I looked up, and immediately regretted it. Max…towel…not helping self-control. Her shoulders, bare and wet, were all that showed; I couldn't decide if that was good or bad. Her legs were showing though, and _man_ did that girl have some stems! Her wings closed in front of her body interrupting my ogling. Thank God. "Fang," she said flatly, "Quit thinking dirty thoughts about me and get in the shower." Well, I would do one of those things. I mutely stood up, using all of my self control to not ask her to join me.

I pulled off my jeans and T-shirt, letting the hot water relax my knotted muscles. I needed to stop thinking like this, or might accidentally rape Max. Which would be bad. I rested my head against the shower wall, relaxing myself. What could I do?

**Max POV:**

As soon as Fang got into the shower, I realized that I hadn't brought any pajamas. I didn't want to sleep in my clothes, and I definitely had to wear _something_, what with Fang being hormonal and all. I pulled on some random clothes and headed downstairs to see if they had anything to wear in the gift shop. Fang looked like he needed some time to think, so I figured I had about fifteen to twenty minutes.

I waited for the elevator, thinking about my super-sexy boyfriend. I can't honestly say I've never been turned on during a make-out session with Fang, but he normally seemed so…in control. The elevator dinged and I stepped on.

I asked myself the million-dollar question: Did I want to make love to Fang? Was I honestly ready? Shoot…million-dollar _questions. _Plural. Fang seemed ready, but how much of that was hormones? I knew the hormonal, teenager side of me was totally ready. Um, duh! What girl would say no to Fang if her hormones were in charge?

I walked into the hotel lobby, still thinking. I looked around the gift store and realized I had overlooked something very obvious. We were in Las Vegas. That meant that all of the clothes were ranged from _revealing_ to _practically naked_. Damn.

I looked at a rack of little black nightgowns that were probably the most modest thing there. My mind started generating random profanities, and I thanked my lucky stars that Angel wasn't there to read my mind. I was more glad that she wasn't here to read Fang's mind, or she would have been scarred forever and ever. Thinking of Angel set my teeth on edge, so I put her out of my mind.

A voice behind me asked, "Ya got a man waitin' for ya honey?" I twirled around to see a drunk, smoking man about thirty looking hungrily at me. It wasn't nearly as flattering as when Fang did it. The checking me out, not the smoking and drinking. I don't think Fang has ever done either of those things. Hopefully.

I nodded to answer the question. He leaned in and grabbed my upper arm. "Why don't you forge' bou' him and come to my room 'nstead? And grab one o' dem nightgowns." Hs breath smelled awful, worse than most Dumpsters I've raided. I struggled to pull away, trying to not use my bird-kid super strength and cause a scene. I didn't want to get Fang and I kicked out. The creeper pulled me into the lobby, towards the elevator.

Suddenly the man was yanked off of me with serious force. Guess Fang didn't need as long in the shower as I thought. He must have come to look for me. Or gamble while I was gone. I think I'll go with option number one. Fang black eyes stared furiously into the rapist's. "Hands off."

"Why should I?" The man slurred, swinging at Fang, who dodged easily. "I t'ink she wan's to come w' me." Then Fang caught the man's foot as he kicked and shoved him onto the floor. The drunkard got up, cussing at the top of his lungs. People started turning in our direction. Fang crouched protectively in front of me, ready for any lame attack from this son of a b****.

"She disagrees." I said. Now, I didn't need protecting, but something in Fang's eyes told me he needed to blow off some steam. I heard the sound of skin hitting skin, and I looked up in shock to see Fang falling. _What? No way that guy actually managed to hit Fang!_ I thought. How? The horrendous male lunged forward, but something stopped him. I looked up to see police. Oh. Fang was acting. My boyfriend is so smart.

"I'm getting tired of kicking you out Horace." A deep but female voice complained. I looked behind the police to see a middle-aged woman with a cigarette in her mouth. "You are banned from the premises." The man who had tried to rape me swore at her, but the police kept him from doing anything else. One policeman reached out and grabbed Fang, who had just stood up, and started to cuff him too.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm with the girl Carl. Leave the boy alone."

The policeman, who I guess must have been Carl, turned to the smoking lady. "He was fighting too. We have to take him."

"For God's sake, he was trying to save his girlfriend from getting raped! I'm not pressing charges." Carl grumbled and unlocked Fang's handcuffs. Fang turned the lady and nodded, his way of saying thanks. The policemen put Horace in a police car and drove off. The woman who had called the police turned and went back to stand behind the cash register.

Fang gave me a quick kiss. "You okay?" I nodded.

"What were you doing downstairs? Planning to gamble while I was away?"

"A little trust, please! I think I've earned it." He rolled his eyes. "I was going to go look around the lobby. We're in Vegas, and there's lots to see."

I sighed. "One hint that you've been gambling and we're leaving." He smiled, but it faded. His eyes scrunched together in that adorable way they do when he's worried.

"I'm scared to leave you alone now." He admitted. I told him I could take care of myself, and that he better keep away from any sluts that tried to paw him. He kissed me again and walked off. Suddenly, I felt that I had the answer to my million-dollar questions. Yes, I was ready to have sex with Fang. Hormonally or not, I knew it was true. He always put me first, and I needed to assure him that Dylan wasn't even being considered. Plus, I needed something to distract me from the backstabbers that used to be my family. Why not something we both wanted?

I bought one of the nightgowns I had been looking at earlier, thanked the cashier again for her help, and headed upstairs. This was going to be fun.

**Fang POV:**

I kept my promise to Max, only admiring the décor and turning away all eighty-million of the girls that tried to convince me to hook up with them. There was only one girl I wanted to do the nasty with, but she was totally against it. I sighed and headed back across the street to our hotel. (I had gone across the street to check out the other hotels nearby.) Maybe I should sleep on the couch or something. Stupid plan to get a room with only one double bed.

I stopped and found a Chinese food place to buy dinner for myself and Max. I convinced the cash register guy that I was picking up food for my whole family of five, and headed into our hotel/casino. I know what you're thinking, we were in Vegas and eating Chinese take-out food, but I don't think either me nor Max wanted to go anywhere tonight.

"Baby, I've got dinner," I called, pushing open the door, "It's Chinese." I froze. Max was laying across the bed, wearing one of the skimpy black nightgowns from the giftstore downstairs. I couldn't stop staring. I literally couldn't. My eyes raked over her body again and again, hungrily taking it in. Whoa.

"Enjoying yourself?" Max asked dryly. I blushed furiously, dropping my eyes to the floor. To my surprise, she didn't yell or hit me. She just laughed and said, "It's okay. I thought you could use some eye candy." She walked over to me and grabbed my arms, pulling me to the bed. My heart kicked into overdrive.

"Yay, food." She said, grinning, "I'm sorry Fang, but I think that's really my true love. Food." Max grabbed a box of sweet-and-sour chicken, digging in. I chose some sort of beef. She moaned in hungry pleasure, leaning her head against my shoulder. How much self control does this girl think I have? Not this much, I can tell you. "You're the best." She kissed my jaw. Focus on your dinner Fang.

"Tell me something I don't know." She punched me playfully, and I focused on keeping my hands on my take-out box and chopsticks. It's a good thing Max didn't expect me to talk much, because I was completely tongue-tied. "What are we watching?"

Max shrugged, and I found myself watching her breasts move. "I'm not really sure. I think it might be _Grey's Anatomy_?" I nodded, tearing my eyes away from her well-developed cleavage. What the Hell is wrong with me?

After we finished eating, I went into the bathroom and changed into my black boxers and an old black T-shirt. I came back out and got under the covers next to Max. My ability to leave her alone was quickly leaving me. She was telling me about some movie she had found to watch, but I wasn't listening. My eyes were once again locked on her boobs. Suddenly a soft but strong grabbed my chin and yanked it upwards.

"My eyes are up here Fang." Max said, glaring furiously at me. I turned bright red, stammering and apologizing. Damn hormones. I turned my eyes to the screen. _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ was on.

I managed to get about one-third of the way through the movie with Max right next to me, her smell all around and her mostly-bare skin brushing against me, before I lost control. If she didn't want me like that, she should cover up.

Max had kicked the sheets down to her ankles to cool off. Now she stretched, her long limbs spreading and her body twisting in a way that was so, so, _so_ sexy. I groaned and crashed my lips against hers lustfully and hungrily. Max gasped and pulled back. I just moved my lips down to kiss her neck and jaw. _Get a grip Fang!_ A tiny part of me yelled. I pushed it away.

Max moaned then pushed me off. "Whoa. Slow down."

"I can't. I'll sleep on the couch, but I can't lay next you wearing that and control myself. Even mutants have hormones." I looked her in the eye.

"Fang…I just don't know. Mom will kill us." Dr. M was totally pro-abstinence, and had threatened to kill me if she ever found out that I had slept with Max.

"She won't know." I murmured seductively. My hands had wandered up under her dress and were exploring thoroughly. I nipped her neck. "Please?" She moaned a gentle protest. I gently sucked on her lower jaw. "Please?"

"Fine." I grinned and yanked her dress over her head as she pulled my lips back to hers. She pulled of my T-shirt and wrapped her legs around my torso, using her hips to roll herself on top of me. "I love you," I groaned before she tugged my boxers off. I pulled off her…thong. Maybe she really did want this. Say hello to the best night of my messed-up life.

*_This Be A Line* _

I woke up with Max's warm and mostly bare frame across my chest. I grinned. It hadn't been a dream. I was wearing nothing but my boxers, and Max only had on a black thong. She lifted her head and grinned, "Your finally up."

"Yep. Lay off the chocolate-chip cookies, you're crushing me." Max gasped and punched my shoulder, then we both winced. Soreness was a b****. Max kissed me. "Admit it, you did want to have sex with me last night." I accused. She smiled.

"Maybe a little." She admitted. We climbed out of bed, ready to head into our first day of not being virgins.

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**Okay, so, I'm new to Fanfiction, so don't hate. I'm already attempting to write two stories at once, so don't review too harshly. Criticism is accepted, but no outright flames. Don't like it? Just don't read it. (Please review if you did like it though!)**


	2. Stupid

Chapter 1: Stupid

**Thanks lots to my reviewers! You guys gave me confidence as a new writer. Thanks again, here you go.**

**Max POV: **

I danced around the kitchen while I helped Ella make cookies. We were listening to _Stuck Like Glue _by _Sugarland. _I loved this song. Ella stuck the last of the cookies in the oven as I cleaned up the last little bit of mess. Now, I know Me plus Kitchen usually equals disaster, but Ella was supervising. I felt kind of silly needing to be watched by my little sister, but in the kitchen it was probably safer.

The Flock was at the mall shopping for wedding attire. I got to stay home because I got sick this morning (hooray!). Fang had volunteered to stay with me, but Mom obviously didn't trust me and Fang to be home alone together all day, so she assigned Ella to stay with me. Ella wasn't particularly happy about staying, but she got over it. We already had dresses. Mom had taken us for some "family time", but I wasn't particularly thrilled with her activity choice like Ella was.

"Whoa." My head spun and I leaned against the counter. This had to be the fourth time I had gotten all light-headed in as many days. It was weird because we super-strong mutants and our beefed-up immune systems never got sick.

"You okay?" Ella asked, turning down the music. I nodded wordlessly. "Well, don't get sick or die. Total and Akila's wedding is tomorrow night!" I nodded again and headed upstairs to lie down. I felt totally fine now.

I pulled Fang's laptop over from where he had left it beside my bed. I randomly surfed the web for a little while, watched some videos on YouTube, random crap like that. A wave of nausea rolled against my stomach. I ran to the bathroom, but it passed without me getting sick. I had gotten sick these past couple of days too, but only in the mornings. I had felt fine the rest of the day.

_Put two and two together Maximum._ Oh, hello Voice. I'd say I missed you, but I didn't.

_I believe the official term for your ailment is "Morning Sickness"._

_What?_ I thought back. _No way, that's only when…you're…_Oh no.

_Exactly. Pregnancy._ _This is your problem Maximum. You don't think things through. You follow you're emotions too much._ _I advised you against having sexual intercourse with Fang. He isn't right for you. Now look what happened._

_Shut the f*** up!_ I generally try to avoid swearing, but this was an extreme situation. Besides, Fang and I always kept our minds blocked in case our thoughts turned back to that night. Angel wasn't even here.

I felt panic rising in my chest. No way I could be pregnant. But Fang and I had neglected to use protection.

I grabbed twenty bucks and scribbled a note about going for a fly before launching myself out the window. I stopped at the nearest convenience store and bought two of the cheapest pregnancy tests on the shelf. Then I shot home.

I shut myself in the bathroom and peed on the little sticks. I hyperventilated against the wall of the bathroom for two minutes while I waited for the test. Here is a slightly-less-terrifying-than-normal view into my head. _No no no oh God don't let me be pregnant Mom will kill me then kill Fang then revive us and kill us again…_Ok, maybe more terrifying than normal.

Two minutes was up. I took a deep breath and peeked into the sink. Forgetting that I wasn't alone, I screamed.

**Ella POV:**

After I took the last batch of cookies out of the oven, I sat down to watch TV. _House Hunters International_ was on _HGTV_. I liked to look at all the different kinds of houses all around the world. I wonder how many of these places Max has been. I wonder if Iggy and I could honeymoon in any of these places. You know, if we ever got together.

Yes, I was _totally_ crushing on Iggy. Like, how could I not? He's totally hot, and funny to boot. I told Max, but she said he was just a sexist pig, and it was good thing he was blind or he would probably start groping every chick they passed. What_ever_. At least I would never have to worry that he only liked me for my looks.

Max said she didn't really have any relationship advice since she didn't even know she loved Fang until he admitted it first, but she suggested I just tell Iggy. Max said he liked it when things were straightforward. Um, no. What if he, like, rejected me? I couldn't take it.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I jumped about twenty feet in the air when I heard Max shriek from upstairs, "NO NO NO! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"

I rushed upstairs, but she wasn't in her room. Only a leftover note about her going flying was on her bed. I turned around and saw that the light was on in the bathroom. I opened the door. (It was unlocked, weird.) My sister was hunched over the sink, and I could see the utter shock on her face in her reflection.

"What happened?" Max spun around, using her wings to block the sink. I didn't believe her when she said nothing was wrong. I grabbed her shoulders, and she was too shocked from whatever had happened to her that she didn't resist. It must be terrible. She slumped against the wall as I looked into the sink. Two white sticks with pink pluses on them stared up at me.

Oh my God. Two pregnancy tests. They were positive. My big sister was pregnant. I spun around to stare at Max. Her brown eyes met mine, then she burst into tears. I put her arm around my shoulders and guided her back to her bed.

Max sobbed into my shoulder as I rubbed her back. "Is it Fang's?" Max nodded.

"H-h-how could we have been so stu-stupid Ella? I can't save the wo-world and take care of a newborn b-b-baby!"

My eyes widened as I thought of something. "Screw that. What are you going to do about _Mom_?"

Her sobs turned to wails. "I d-don't know! She's going to k-k-kill us, then kick us out, and-and-and…" I went back to soothing her. When she finally stopped crying I told her to get rid of the tests then relax before she had a heart attack. She nodded and said she was going to take a nap.

As I walked out of her room she called, "Ella?" I turned. "Don't tell anyone. I-I want to be the one to tell Fang, and I'm not sure I want anyone else to know yet." I nodded.

**Max POV:**

I did what Ella asked then crawled under my sheets. What was I going to do? How would Fang react? What was I going to do about Mom? I buried my face in my pillow, grateful that the Voice was quiet. I fell into an uneasy sleep.

**Fang POV:**

When we got back from buying me a freaking tuxedo, the first thing I smelled was chocolate-chip cookies. Mmmm…. "Hey Ells." Iggy said. He totally had the hots for her, but wouldn't take my advice and just tell her how he felt. Wimp.

Ella was sitting alone on the couch. Dr. Martinez went and hung our new dress clothes in the hall closet. "Where's Max?" I asked Ella, who was over on the couch.

"Upstairs." Her eyes were watching Iggy's ass as he walked into the kitchen. I nodded and headed up to Max's room as Angel and Nudge started babbling to Nudge about the dresses they bought and Gazzy changed the TV show to _Mythbusters_.

I opened Max's door and peeked in, only to find her asleep. I tried to quietly creep away, but Max softly said, "Yeah?" I looked back to see her yawning and stretching out her wings.

"It's me."

She grinned. "Oh, hey sweetie." I sat down on her bed and ran one finger down her cheek. It was red and puffy, like she had been crying. She responded to the question in my eyes. "Stress. Just keeping the Flock safe, making sure no one finds out about what we did, keeping you and Dylan from murdering each other, etc. I got a little overwhelmed. I guess crying was unnecessary, but-" My mouth smashed against hers. Her fingers tangled in my hair.

After about five minutes, I pulled back and murmured, "I had no idea. Tell me next time. I'll try to be more civil towards Dylan." Grinning, I pulled suggestively on her belt loops. "Of course if you really need to release some tension…" She violently smacked my hand away with a firm _No!_ "Geez, Max! I was joking!"

Max took a deep breath "Sorry, it's just-" Before she could finish, Ella tapped on the door.

"Dinner." Ella and Max shared some sort of look, and Ella left. I turned to Max, but she was covering her mouth with her hand. Then she sprinted to the bathroom and started projectile vomiting.

I followed her. I pulled her hair out of her face and rubbed her back. When she was done, she flushed the toilet and brushed her teeth. I looked at the wallpaper as I waited, studying the floral design. When I looked back, Max was staring at the sink like she was seeing something there. Her mind was a million miles away.

I put my arms around her. "You sure you want to eat?"

She turned to me. "What kind of question is that? I believe I said that food was my true love." Max pecked my lips before heading downstairs. I looked in the sink, but I didn't see anything. What had Max been thinking about?

**Max POV:**

Ella crept into my room after dinner. "You didn't tell him."

I sighed and pushed my hands through my still-damp hair. "I know…I just freaked, okay?"

"You better hurry. Fang probably won't be mad at you unless you keep it a secret. There's also the possibility that he'll suspect it's someone else's."

"But it isn't!"

"I know, but he's paranoid about Dylan enough as is. If you keep it secret, he'll think you have something to hide."

I studied the pattern on my covers. "I'll tell him tomorrow." Ella hugged me and left. I fell back on my pillow. What was I going to do?

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**Review. It would make me so happy.**


	3. Weddings and Preparations

Chapter 2: Weddings and Preparations

**I convinced my mom to let me re-upload the prologue unedited, so if you didn't get to read it, now you can.**

**This chapter takes place during and after Total and Akila's wedding. They're staying in Colorado at the Flock's house. If the book says they're somewhere else, please tell me.**

**I realized that I forgot a disclaimer in the previous chapters. Oops! So, in case you didn't catch on, I DOESN'T OWN MAXRIDE! I do own the plot though, so no using, or I reports you!**

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**Max POV:**

Ella zipped up my dress. (Not without effort, thanks to my already-growing baby bump.) Fang came in. Damn, he was hot in a tux. "I hate this stupid monkey suit," He said as Ella left to find Nudge to do my hair and make-up.

"I hate dresses. But," I ran my hands seductively down his chest, "You are so sexy in that tuxedo." He groaned, told me he loved how low-cut my dress was, and we started making-out. Who could have seen that coming? Note the sarcasm. He pulled me down onto my bed, his tongue pressing against mine, and my hands shook as I attempted to unbutton his tuxedo shirt. Then someone shrieked.

Fang and I pulled apart to see a very furious Nudge and Ella in the doorway. "No no no! Now I have to fix his suit! God, guys can't you control your emotions? Thank God we hadn't done your hair and make-up yet Max…" Nudge's voice faded as she dragged Fang down the hallway. Ella glared at me.

"You'd think that, considering your _condition_, you would be a little more responsible." Now that was a low blow.

"Sorry, _Mom._ You're the one who left us alone." My mouth twisted into an evil grin. "At least I'm good enough to get a hot guy to kiss me. Iggy hasn't even held you're hand. Being alone in a room wouldn't spark anything between you two." I knew that was unnecessarily cruel, but attacking my pregnancy was mean. Plus, I was moody. I thought Ella was going to hit me, and my wings unfolded in anger.

Nudge came back in to do my hair, despite the tension. She managed to get me into the bathroom and in front of the mirror. The tension between Ella and I didn't leave. "Okay, happy faces." Nudge told us when she was done. "It's Total and Akila's big night, so don't ruin it with…whatever your problem is." Wow, that was short. Guess she was stressed.

I sighed, hoping the chance to tell Fang about the baby would arise during the wedding. No such time had come up today. We loaded into the car. I was squished against Fang on one side and Dylan on the other. Both kept trying to get my attention. It just gets better and better.

* * *

**Fang POV:**

Max laughed as we danced to the upbeat music the DJ was blaring through the speakers. She finally looked stress free for once. I caught Dylan glaring at us from across the room, and I shot him a smug look. His glare intensified.

I thought about what he said, about me leaving to protect the girl in my arms. I had decided he was right, but I couldn't leave without explaining it to her. At the very least not without one more kiss.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Hey hot stuff. Why don't we go continue what Nudge and Ella interrupted?" I motioned with my head towards a side hallway away from the wedding reception.

The second we got there our lips were hungrily smashed together as our tongues fought for entrance into the other's mouth. Max moaned. God, I felt so horny right now, but a hallway wasn't a very appropriate place to get it on.

I felt my lips hesitating as Dylan's words played across my brain, telling me to leave. Max felt it too. "What's wrong?" She cooed, kissing my neck.

"Nothing." I looked at her expression, and it all spilled out. I couldn't help it. She was too beautiful, especially when she was concerned. "It's just…Dylan was talking to me the other day. After I was revived." And no, I don't remember anything about being dead, so don't ask. "He said I should leave. He said it was for your sake, that I was a danger…"

"_What? _No, Fang, you can't leave! I just…I need you! I can't-can't do this on my own! It has to be you. It has to be-"

"What has to be me? Max if it's for your safety-"

"NO!" She shrieked, startling me. I was now thoroughly scared. "Fang you can't leave me. Not now, when we need you so badly."

"Max, what do you mean? Why does the Flock need me so badly?"

Max was gasping for breath now, looking hysterical. Oh God, I broke my girlfriend. "The Flock isn't the other part of "we"." She managed.

I put my hands on her shoulders. "Then who is? Max, honey, breathe. What's so important that it's freaking you out so badly? Why can't I leave?"

Max took a deep breath. I thought I was prepared for anything that could come out of her mouth until I heard what she said. "I'm pregnant." I pulled back, feeling like I had been socked in the stomach.

_"What?"_

**Max POV:**

I knew it. He was mad. "Fang, I'm sorry. I should have thought to use protection. It's all my fault. But I could get an abortion, or if it doesn't have wings we could put it up for adoption-"

"Why do you want to get rid of it?"

I looked at him in confusion. "Don't you? I thought you'd be mad."

Fang wrapped me up in a hug, and I hugged him back after a heartbeat of shock. "I'm not mad. Neither of us knew. How long ago did you find out?"

"Yesterday. That's the real reason I was crying. There just wasn't a good time to tell you." Fang asked if anyone else knew. "Ella saw my tests. I asked her to keep her mind blocked, so Angel shouldn't know, but…"

As Fang rubbed my back, a thought popped into my mind. "Maybe we _should _leave."

"What? Why?" Fang asked, stunned.

"Mom's going to kill us when she finds out. Dylan probably will too. As will Jeb. Plus, I feel like we set a bad example," I was really warming up to this idea now. "Besides, I want our kid to be raised as far from all of this mutant stuff as possible. We can hide away somewhere, get jobs, and try to raise it as normally as possible."

As Fang thought this over, my Voice just had to give it's input. _This is a terrible idea Maximum! Your job is to save the world. Get an abortion and return to your mission immediately._

_No, I won't! _I replied fiercely_. This baby is mine and Fang's, and I refuse to get rid of it. Don't say anything else. Case closed._

"Okay." Fang's voice jolted me back to reality.

"What?"

"I said okay. I'll leave with you." He gave me a heart-melting smirk. "Let's go start a new life."

* * *

After Fang managed to feed my mom a story about me getting sick again, we headed home. It was hard to convince Mom to just let it be the two of us, but I told her not to let me ruin the Flock's chance to let loose. She finally agreed.

Fang and I changed into jeans and old shirts. I packed clothes and a few water bottles into my backpack. Fang also had clothes and some food like granola bars and cans of ravioli in his pack. Thankfully, years on the run had taught us how to pack quickly and lightly.

We left our phones so the kids wouldn't call. We wanted a clean break.

I wrote out a letter to the flock as Fang went through the house to grab anything we may need and that we could carry. By the time Fang came back, I was done and had tears streaming down my face. He scribbled his own message to the Flock, stuffed the Maximum Ride card into his backpack, and put his arms around my waist. "You know, we don't have to leave."

"Yeah, we do. It's just…I raised them Fang. They're like my kids."

"We're leaving because of our actual kid. Because we want him or her to have as normal of a life as possible." He gave me a chaste kiss on my lips. "But we don't have to leave." He repeated.

"Yes, we do." I suddenly thought of something. "Wait here." I ran upstairs and scribbled a note to Ella asking her not to say anything about my pregnancy. Then I went into my room and pulled a picture of my family down from my dresser. It was the whole Flock plus Ella and Mom. How could I have forgotten it? I ran back downstairs and got ready to fly.

"Good thinking." Fang said, motioning towards my backpack where I had put the picture. I just nodded, trying not to cry again. Fang pecked my cheek and jumped out of the window. _Maximum, I'm warning you-_

_Shut it Voice!_ I jumped out the window and snapped open my wings, following Fang into the night.

* * *

**Ella POV:**

We walked into the house laughing our heads off. The euphoria of the night had yet to dissipate. Iggy and I had danced the whole night. Nothing could ruin it.

"Guys, we're home!" Mom called. No response.

"That's weird." Gazzy commented.

"No, they're probably just already asleep." I had seen the look on Fang's face after he and Max had gone into the hallway alone, and I knew she had told him about her pregnancy. He had looked shocked but not mad, which was good.

"I can't hear their thoughts." Angel said. "I mean, they normally have their thoughts blocked, but they just aren't there. I think they're gone."

"Alright guys," Dylan said as everyone started talking nervously, "Let's not panic. Look, there aren't any signs of struggle. Max wouldn't have been taken without a fight," he said. His affectionate tone was hard to miss, as was the fact that he neglected to mention Fang. "They probably just went flying. Now go get your pajamas on."

I headed upstairs with everyone else. I changed into my favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas and went to lay down in bed. I noticed a folded piece of paper sitting neatly on my pillow. I opened it, and my mouth opened in horror.

_Ella-_

_If you haven't already, read the note I left on the kitchen table. It will probably upset you, but we're sorry. Please, please, please don't say anything about my pregnancy. It would defeat the whole purpose of all of this. Destroy this note and understand that I couldn't have asked for a better sister._

_-Max_

I tore up the note and sprinted downstairs as fast as I could. There was indeed another note sitting folded on the table. I read it and started crying. "Guys, come quick!" I managed to call. The Flock was downstairs in less than a minute.

"What happened?" Mom asked, eyeing the note in my hands. "What's that paper?" I just shook my head. I held the paper out to the Gasman.

"Read it in their voices please. Max is the messy handwriting and Fang is the chicken scratch." Gazzy agreed and started reading.

_To Iggy, Dylan, Nudge, the Gasman, Angel, Ella, Mom, and Total-_

_We are so, so sorry. You can't even begin to imagine how much this hurts us, but Fang and I have to leave. For both your benefit and ours. You wouldn't understand. Something came up. _

_As I said, you wouldn't understand. Fang and I-well, mostly me-made a mistake. A terrible one. We're leaving to try and make it better. But this can't be completely stopped. I have a few things to tell each of you._

_Iggy, try not to burn or blow-up the house. You need somewhere to live. Try to be more responsible in our absence. I'm still leaving Dylan in charge._

_Gazzy, the same goes for you. And try not to stinkify the house or tease the girls too much either. _

_Nudge, you are becoming such a beautiful young woman. Just try not to talk everyone to death. And remember that your wings make you special, not a freak. You cannot cut them off._

_Angel, you are a sweet girl, but you're not a leader sweetie. Not yet. Let Dylan be in charge. _

_Ella, don't say anything. I love you. You're the greatest sister ever. And trust me, just be straightforward. You never know if you never try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised._

_Mom, I took the rest of the cookies we made yesterday. I don't know how I'll survive once Fang and I finish them. You are the best Mom ever, and I'm so glad I got to meet you._

_Dylan, you're in charge. I know I wasn't very nice to you, but I don't like change. It took Fang weeks to convince me to go out with him. I'm trusting you. Keep the Flock safe for me. For us._

_Total, enjoy your wife. Have puppies. Keep everyone safe. I liked you, even if you complained too much. Remember, the kids cannot have wine or any other alcohol until they're twenty-one. Hopefully Fang and I will have gotten in touch and reunited with you guys by then._

_We will never forget you. I will always love you guys as my kids. Listen to Dylan, be respectful to Mom, and don't get yourselves killed. Fang and I will try to get in touch in a few years if you don't hate us. Hopefully we can meet even if you do._

_Once again, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We messed up, and everyone is suffering. We love you guys._

_-Max_

Gazzy looked up in shock. Everyone's eyes had tears in them. "Come on, she didn't even leave me in charge? Now I'm really pissed." Iggy said in a weak attempt to lighten the mood.

I just stood there in shock. This wasn't the answer. Max should have stayed. We could have helped them through this. "Keep going. Read Fang's part." I whispered. Gazzy took a breath and his voice changed to Fang's deep slow one.

_Guys-_

_Basically, everything Max wrote. We love you, but we have to leave and fix this mess. I want to add one thing: None of this is your fault. This was completely Max and me. We were being idiots. I know I never really showed it, but I do love you guys. You're pretty great._

_Dylan, I'm sorry. I hate you, but I should have been better about hiding it. But Max is _mine_. At least now you can't change that. The only bright side to all of this. Keep the kids safe, or I'll murder you. If Max doesn't first._

_We love you. We'll get in touch eventually._

_-Fang_

_P.S. Iggy, just go for it man. Trust me, it'll work. Eventually. You deserve to be happy._

The Flock was sobbing. Mom took the note. "Ella do you know what this was about?" I shook my head. "Are you sure?" I nodded. I would lie through my teeth to protect Max. She and Fang must have felt that leaving was the best thing.

"They really must not want to get in touch. They left their cell phones." Gazzy pointed at the counter.

Angel started lecturing, "Guys, it's okay. They'll get in touch eventually. In the mean time, let's-"

"SHUT UP!" Nudge screamed. Everyone stared at her, dumbfounded. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT ANGEL! IF YOU HADN'T BANISHED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THEY DIDN'T FEEL WANTED. YOU LITTLE BRAT! WHY CAN'T ACT YOUR AGE?'

I grabbed Nudge. Angel was pale and looked utterly stunned. "Nudge, stop. It wasn't her fault. Trust me." Nudge just sobbed.

"So you do know something?" Mom asked. I silently cursed myself.

"Let's go to bed." Dylan cut in. "We've had a long night. We can finish talking about this tomorrow."

I went upstairs, and Iggy touched my shoulder. "You okay?" I nodded. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but he didn't. I crawled into bed, realizing that I was wrong. Something could ruin this night, and it was worse than I ever could have imagined.

* * *

**Sadly, that is the last of my prewritten chapters. Updates might be kind of slow, but I'll be as quick as I possibly can.**

**Agh! ANGEL comes out in less than a week! I read the 1st 23 chapters on Max-Dan-Wiz, and they were epic! If you need to read them, there's a link at the bottom of my profile page.**

**Thank you guys so much for the nice reviews! Hopefully I can get some more for this chappie!**


	4. Firelight and Stress

Chapter 3: Firelight and Stress

**Oooooh! Thanks to the people who set my story to favorite or story alert!**

**Max POV:**

I landed and tucked my wings in. Fang was right behind me, silent. We peered through the trees at the mountainside town. It as a little place now, but during ski season I knew it would be booming. The mountains around it still had snow at the very summit and the air was pure and fresh. Trees lined the mountainside and billions of stars sparkled in the sky. _What a perfect place to be raised. _I thought.

I motioned with my head. "What do you think?'

"Perfect," Fang gave me a tiny smile. "We'll make camp here tonight and start house hunting tomorrow." He gave me a quick peck on the lips and went to get firewood.

We had been gone three days, and thinking of the Flock still made me sad. I missed them all so much. I put the thought aside so I wouldn't cry anymore. I was doing this for a good reason. There was no going back now.

Fang started a fire as I went to find something to eat. We had just been hunting for food, saving the real food for when we found a house. It was all non-perishable. I came back with four squirrels and a plump rabbit. I know you're all partially grossed out and partially horrified, but people, especially mutant bird kids, have to eat. It wasn't for much longer.

Fang skinned the animals with a stolen pocket knife while I reclined against a tree stump. I watched the firelight dance against his skin and eyes and felt the overwhelming desire to kiss him. I don't know if it was a pregnancy thing or a teenage thing, but he looked so sexy in that lighting.

"You know, you could be helping." Fang said. I shrugged.

"Nah, you're doing fine," He looked at me. "Pregnant women don't have to work."

Fang's eyebrows raised, and he pointed at me with his pocketknife. "Oh, no. If you're going to act like that, I'll turn around and fly right back to the Flock. You can raise that that kid with your own sorry ass."

I held up my hands in surrender. "I'm kidding babe."

Fang sighed and skewered the final squirrel, placing it over the fire. "I know sweetie," He cleaned off his pocketknife and leaned back against a mossy rock. For a long time, he didn't say anything. After a while, Fang handed me two and a half squirrels and part of a rabbit.

"That's more than you. We should split it evenly."

Fang shook his head back and forth, his hair swishing softly. "You're feeding two people."

"One and a half," I argued.

"You get more." His tone said case closed. I was really starting to wish I had never made that "I can't work because I'm pregnant" comment.

When we finished eating we laid back to look at the stars. I watched them flicker, thinking of how gorgeous they looked. I looked over at Fang, whose dark eyes were reflecting the stars. He seemed lost in thought.

I shivered as a cool wind blew through the clearing. The fire was barely burning now. After a slight hesitation, I crawled over and snuggled against Fang's chest. No reaction.

"Please don't be mad at me." I begged. Fang turned towards me, wearing a slightly surprised look.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

I bit my lip before answering. "I don't know, but I made that joke about not being able to work because I'm preggo and then you got all quiet and closed off. I thought I'd upset you, even though it was just a joke."

Fang sighed, "I know you were kidding. It just got me thinking. What about when that's true? Soon you won't be able to work or fly, and you'll be all mood-swingy. We'll have to pay to rent a house or apartment and for food and basic needs. not to mention what the doctor will think when you get sonograms. And the money it'll cost to _get_ those sonograms. I just don't know how we're going to do it. It just made me realize that we aren't ready for this."

"We really screwed up big time, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did," Fang turned to smile at me, "But I shouldn't be stressing you. We'll make the best of it and we'll get by, just like we always do. I'm sorry for being anti-social." He wrapped his dark wings around me, warming me as the last embers of our fire burned out.

"I love you." I murmured as I drifted off to sleep. I vaguely heard him reply, but it was too late.

**Fang POV:**

I heard a rustling sound in the bushes. Silently, I covered Max's ears with my hands so she wouldn't wake up and I focused. I had been practicing, and I had found out that if I concentrated, I could turn other things invisible too. I looked at Max, but we were gone. Let's just hope I could keep it up.

Two Erasers tramped into the clearing, their noses on the ground. I realized that they were sniffing us out. I held my breath. I was so glad that Max and I had hidden our packs up a tree, just in case something like this happened. Still, our smell couldn't be erased.

"Find anything?" One asked.

"Nope," The other one replied. "But they were definitely here." His twitching nose came dangerously to me and Max, but it moved on. "The scent is really strong near here, but nothing's there"

"Must have been where they relieved themselves."

The first Eraser poked the ashes of our fire with his nose. "Still warm," he growled. "They haven't gone far."

"Let's head back," The second Eraser said. "It's late. We can continue searching tomorrow."

The other one nodded and they ran into the woods. After they had been gone for fifteen minutes, I made us visible again. I was suddenly aware of how exhausting keeping Max invisible with me had been. I sincerely hoped they wouldn't come back, because I couldn't stay awake any longer and I refused to wake Max. She was sleeping so soundly.

My head rested against the ground, and I was out cold.

* * *

**Sorry that was really short. I just wanted to get a new chapter up.**

**Guess what? I got ANGEL! And I finished it! It was totally epic. I won't give any spoilers here, but I'll give you some detailed spoilers if you PM me. If you want.**

**I'm going to delete my other story and rewrite it so it's post ANGEL instead of post FANG. It's called Love Hurts and I think it will be much better once ****I rewrite it, so give it a shot.**

**BTW, only one review? Really? If I don't get reviews I won't update and I may possibly delete this story. So, for this story's sake and all the people who liked this story enought to set it to favorite, REVIEW!**


	5. Unexpected Help

Chapter 4: Unexpected Help

**I'm sorry I threatened to delete my story. :'( I am ashamed *slaps own wrist*, even though I didn't want to update if I didn't get reviews. However, I did some thinking, and I realized that hundreds of people are reading this story, so it must not be as horribly suckish as I thought. Big ol' hugs to those of you who did review though. You guys are beast.**

**NewHampshireMan155: I totally agree with you. Before I got my account, I told myself I wasn't going to write for reviews, I was going to write because I loved it. I didn't realize how much reviews would matter until I actually started posting. However, like 640 people have read this story, so I guess I must be doing something right. Thank you, and I'll make sure to keep writing.**

**Cadisha Ora Rhaksha Caden: Yes this story is kind of sexual, but it's about teen regnancy for Pete's sake! The summaries have to be appropriate, so I did as best I could there. It's rated T, so I don't really know why you're complaining. However, there won't be much more than making out for a really long while, so you don't need to worry. You have been warned.**

**Stormyfang502:**** I'm trying to get into the characters heads. I was thinking about what Max would have done, and she definitely wouldn't have left Gazzy in charge. If it had actually been me in that position, I would have left Iggy in charge and constantly make fun of the fact that technically, Dylan is less than a year old. He's a baby. Anyway...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, Dr. Pepper, or The Brown Dog Pizza Company. I do own Meredith though.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

We were screwed. Fang and I saw lots of rentable condos that came fully furnished, but we couldn't afford them. Not yet. After we looked in the fourth condo for rent, Fang suggested we looked at other parts of the town. Things like job opportunities, recreation, restaurants…my stomach growled when I thought about eating. Fang smiled and took my hand, and we started down the street.

"Where do you want to eat?" Fang asked. I shrugged. Suddenly, I was craving pizza. Not normal, that-sounds-good-right-now craving, pregnant lady you-freaking-bring-me-that-food-right-now-or-I'll-shank-you type craving.

"Pizza," I said. "Let's go there." I pointed at a little restaurant called The Brown Dog Pizza Company. Luckily for the innocent bystanders inside, it was about 2:30, so I didn't have to wait to long and go all ninja-crazy on people.

Fang and I sat down at a table and a waitress came over. I ordered a large pizza with anchovies, olives, and mushrooms. Normally, I don't like any of those things, but when you're preggers, you don't exactly have a choice in what you want to eat. Fang also ordered a large pizza, but his had peppers, pepperonis, and sausage.

The waitress gave us a skeptical look. "You sure you can eat all that?"

"Yes, and don't expect me to be fooled if you bring me a medium or small. I'm hungry!" I snapped.

"Besides, the more we eat the more we pay." Fang pointed out quietly. The waitress pursed her lips and walked off. "You know, there are less violent ways to handle situations like that." Fang said conversationally after she left.

"Pregnancy hormones," I said quietly so no one would overhear. "I think this is just the beginning." I sighed.

Fang grabbed my hand underneath the table. He gave me a reassuring smile. I was so lucky to have him.

Fifteen minutes later, we got our pizza. I had underestimated the size of a "large" pizza. Even Fang had trouble finishing. I know, I'm totally stunned too. However, it did satisfy my cravings; I felt all calm and happy. What was wrong with me?

"Now what?" I asked as I sucked down the last few drops of my Dr. Pepper. Fang shrugged. "Let's just take a walk." I suggested. "It's a beautiful day."

Fang nodded and pulled our change out of the waitress' checkbook.

"Come again," She said as we left.

"No worries, we'll definitely be back," I murmured, resting my head on Fang's shoulder as he put his arm around my waist.

As we walked out of the door onto the sidewalk, we collided with something.

"Hey, watch it!" I snapped.

"You watch it!" Um, talk about surprising. Not many people had the guts to talk back to me. I had to much of a badass vibe. Or the fact that I didn't have many chances to shower on a regular basis kept them back. Only then did I take a full look at who I had run into. What I saw shocked me.

It was a teenage girl, about sixteen or so. She had long light-brown hair that hung down around her waist. She was maybe an inch shorter than me, making her about average height. But what shocked me was her swollen stomach. This girl was pregnant too, but much farther along than I was.

She caught me staring. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're thinking about how irresponsible and stupid I must be, right? Well guess what? Sometimes, people make mistakes, so don't-"

"No, no!" I cut her off. "It's just…I'm kind of in the same situation." I put my hands on my still mostly flat stomach.

"Oh," The stranger gasped, and her eyes widened. "_Oh!_ I'm so sorry! It's just, normally that's what people think when they look at me. I know it is, I can tell from their faces." She gushed. I realized that she must be pretty lonely.

"That sounds awful," I sighed pressing my face against Fang's shoulder. "And I'm going to have to put up with it."

Fang kissed my hair. "Don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time." He soothed.

The teen girl I had run into sighed. "You're so lucky."

"How?" I asked incredulously. I was a fifteen-year-old pregnant mutant with no home for Pete's sake!

She motioned at Fang. "You have him. You have someone to support you." Then she motioned down the street. "I'm staying at an apartment right over there. If it's okay with you and your parents, we can go there and keep talking."

"My parents don't have any say in my life anymore." I muttered bitterly. Of course Mom would feel horrible that we left, but not as bad as if we had stayed. Jeb would be thrilled to have a new experiment to watch/kidnap and torture. The Flock…the Flock would have loved the baby. Maybe not Dylan because it was mine and Fang's, but everyone else would have. Especially Nudge and Angel. Angel, my original little baby….

"Max," Fang said. I blinked. "You're spacing."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "We'd love to come. I'm Max, by the way, and this is my boyfriend Fang."

"What cool names," The girl said. "My name is Meredith." We started walking down the street.

When we arrived at Meredith's house, she asked if we were hungry. For once in my life, I wasn't. The pizza was that filling. We sat down on her couch.

"So how long have you been here?" Meredith asked. "I haven't seen you around before."

"We've been here about three days," I said. "Parents kicked me out; I went somewhere far enough away to get a fresh start."

Meredith motioned with her hand, telling me to continue. "Give me more details."

I took a deep breath. During the time Fang and I had spent in the woods, we had planned and rehearsed a cover story so we wouldn't have to tell the real one. Obviously the truth would earn us at least a few funny looks, if not a soft padded cell.

"I was mad at my parents for trying to put me on an ultra-tight leash. No dates alone with Fang, curfew of nine o'clock weekdays, ten o'clock weekends, etc. I was sick of them always breathing down my neck, so Fang and I hopped on a plane and went to Vegas." Meredith's eyes widened.

I motioned to my stomach. "Obviously I won't go into detail, but while there we, you know, did it. My parents were beyond furious when we returned. I wasn't even allowed out of the house except for school. I just wondered why I hadn't thought to get married to Fang while we were in Sin City.

"Then I found out I was going to have a baby. I told Fang first, then we told my mom and dad together. Needless to say, they went ballistic."

Fang cut in now with his low, silky voice. "Her parents kicked her out. My parents offered her a place to stay at our house, but that was it. They gave us disapproving looks and shot disgusted glances at Max's stomach whenever she was in the room. We got sick of it, so we packed up and ran away. Now we're here with no money, no jobs, and a baby on the way."

"That's horrible," Meredith murmured.

"So what's your story?" I asked.

Meredith went and got each of us a bottle of chocolate milk. I gave her a questioning look. "Cravings," she said, shrugging. "Believe me, it could be a lot worse. I've wanted some pretty weird stuff. I got you some because I didn't want to seem rude." Fang and I opened them and drank while Meredith talked.

"My story is similar to yours. My parents were pretty lenient, so it wasn't to hard for me and my boyfriend Joshua to get a night alone together. I guess the morning-after pill I took was expired though, because a month and a half later, I was staring at a positive pregnancy test.

"I told my parents, and they gave me a week to get out of the house and out of their lives. I was horrified. I mean, they were my parents. I knew they would be mad, but I expected them to support me. Like good parents would." She paused to take a sip of chocolate milk.

"Then I told Joshua. He didn't even give me a chance. He started bitching off about how irresponsible I was, how stupid I was to have let this happen. I tried to tell him that making babies takes two, but he wouldn't listen. He said he would take me back if I got an abortion. I refused.

"I had nowhere to go, so I hopped on a bus and ended up here. And here we are now." Meredith smiled. "I can help you as best I can. I've become good friends with the apartment owner, and the apartment next door is empty. They come fully furnished. I'll talk to Casey and see if she can help you get in on a discounted rate. She let me.

"There are plenty of job opportunities around town if you look, and you shouldn't need a car here because everything is close enough to walk to."

I was speechless. "You'd really help us that much?"

"Anything for a fellow teen parent. Besides, I get pretty lonely."

I threw my arms around her. "Thank you. Thanks so much!"

"Whoa, accepting help _and_ hugging people?" Fang joked. "Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" I tried to smack him, but he grabbed my arm and pulled my lips to his. My arms wound around his neck as his rested on my waist. After a moment, something soft but kind of hard collided with the side of my head.

"Hey!"

"None of that here," Meredith said, setting down the pillow she had used to hit us. "You'll upset my baby. Pregnancy hormones are going to affect Max quite a bit from here on. Sometimes she'll be super-affectionate, but most of the time she's going to make your life a living hell." Meredith warned Fang, who shrugged.

"She needs me. I can put up with it."

"You two are so lucky to have each other." I smiled at Fang, who smiled back and kissed my forehead. "Oh! I almost forgot." Meredith said suddenly. "Do you guys mind train rides?"

"Depends," I said cautiously, "Why?"

"I have somewhere I need to take you. You'll thank me, I know it. They've helped me so much recently, it isn't even funny." Meredith said ecstatically. I looked at Fang, who shrugged.

"It's worth looking into. We need all the help we can get."

"Alright," I said, "Let's go." Meredith picked up her purse and we headed out the door.

* * *

**It was short, I know. I'm trying to update as fast as possible. Where is Meredith taking Fax? You must wait to find out!**

**Oh, you know how earlier in the story I said that it was October? I changed my mind. It's now somewhere around May or June. I'm not really positive about when. I'll edit the earlier chapter. Sorry for any confusion.**

**The Brown Dog Pizza Company is an actual restaurant I went to during a family vacation one time. One of their large pizzas was too big for my five-person family to finish. It was delicious though. I don't want to get into any trouble, so I thought I'd clear that up.**

**REVIEW! Please? Can I get 20 reviews before my next update? 20 reviews or more means I spend less time on Zoo Tycoon and more time typing, meaning you people get faster updates! Let's go people, try for 20!**


	6. Train Ride

Chapter 5: Train Ride

**Hey! Okay, I just looked back and realized that I messed up the numbering on my chapters. They went Prologue, 1, 2, 4, 5. I'll fix it. This is really chapter 5.**

**Okay, there was some confusion about my request at the end of the last chapter. When I said I wanted 20 reviews, I meant I wanted to reach 20 reviews total, not 20 reviews for the chapter (though that would be awesome). I had 15, so really I was only asking for 5 reviews. You guys gave me a lot more than that though, so thanks a lot! Just thought I'd clear that up.**

**Disclaimer: Me owning MR = Dylan dead, FAX together forever, Angel a sweet lil' girl, and Dr. M not (supposedly) evil. Therefore, I must not own MaxRide.**

* * *

**Meredith POV:**

I led Max and Fang to the edge of town where the train station was and bought three train tickets. They tried to protest against me paying for all of the tickets, but I pointed out that they didn't exactly have money to spare.

The train ride was bumpy and didn't exactly help the nausea I felt constantly at six months pregnant. Max had fallen asleep against Fang's shoulder as he rubbed circles between her shoulder blades. Once again I felt jealousy stab me.

Why couldn't Joshua have been like that? Don't misunderstand, Fang isn't my type and I'm pretty sure Max would murder me and Tyler (my baby) if I made any sort of attempt. It's just…I wanted a baby daddy who would love and support me no matter what, and God _knows_ it will be hard enough to find a guy when they realize I have a kid.

I sat pondering this for a minute until a violent _BANG _erupted from the front of the train. That can't be good.

**Max POV:**

After Meredith bought our tickets (against my will, of course) and we boarded the train, Fang started rubbing circles between my wings while Meredith stared out the window. I was asleep almost immediately.

I awoke to a loud banging sound from the front of the train. I bolted upright and saw that Fang was already turned around and staring intently at the general area the noise had come from. People around us were talking nervously. Suddenly, someone screamed. Uh-oh.

Four Erasers slammed through the door connecting our train car to the one ahead of it. I repeat, uh-oh. I turned to Fang and whispered too softly for anyone without special mutant super-ears to hear, "Don't show your wings. You can fight them, but keep your wings hidden. They must want the baby." Fang nodded slightly.

One Eraser tilted his head back to sniff the air, then his eyes locked on my face. He flicked his ears and the Erasers started crawling over the backs of the chairs towards Fang and me. I backed up.

The same Eraser that had spotted me, the one who must have been in charge, opened his mouth to speak. "Maximum Ride. Surrender, and no harm will come to you. Information has reached the new Director's ears that you have successfully reproduced. You are the first experiment to have done so. The Director wishes to observe you until the new creature is born," I started to see red. How_ dare_ he refer to my baby as a _creature_! "Come with us gently or we will take you by force. Your choice."

I played dumb. "Look, whatever you are. I don't know what you want with me. I'm just going on a tourism trip to the next town. I don't plan on going anywhere but there." People were screaming. Several passengers were cringing as close to the windows as they could.

"So be it," The Eraser said. This time he flicked his tail and the other three Erasers lunged at me. One grabbed my arm and I gave him a sharp kick between the legs. Needless to say, he was incapacitated quite effectively. (Whoa, did I really just say that? Just call me Maxinerd Ride. You know, if you really hate your life.) But he got back up. This time I kicked him hard in the stomach then stomped on his spine when he fell. Fang brought another one down with a two-handed karate chop to the back of the neck.

The lead Eraser lunged for me as the other one still standing went for Fang. This leader guy must have been a newer model because he was freaking _strong_. He grabbed my arms and stepped on my feet before I could land a hit. Now _I_ was incapacitated. His spare hand, claws extended, sliced less than an inch from my stomach. My baby. He hit my arm instead, causing me to gush blood. I shrieked and was about to unfurl my wings when Fang called, "Wait!"

The Eraser, still holding me stiffly, turned to him. The Eraser fighting Fang was crumpled in a heap on the floor. The mutant holding me growled, "What?"

Fang started talking. "Does this make sense to you?" The Eraser gave him a confused look. I did too. What the Hell was Fang doing? But I trust him, so….Fang kept talking, "You're going to hurt Max, and if she gets hurt, the baby could die. If you're responsible for killing the first successful reproduction your program has seen, I'll wager the "New Director" won't be too happy with you." I could see the tiny, rusty wheels in the Erasers head turning. Fang had a point. Normally he just used logic to annoy the crap out of me, but he was actually using it for good instead of evil now. I'm so proud.

Fang continued, "Wouldn't it make more sense to just leave Max alone? Think about it. What if you just let the baby grow? Then, when it's born, you have a guaranteed healthy baby that's easier to kidnap because it can't fight back!" WTF? Yeah that made sense. Sense if you wanted our baby to be freaking raised in a dog crate, like us! Fang shot me a look that said "Trust me", but I wasn't so sure. The Eraser nodded.

"Good point," He turned to the other Erasers, "Get up, ya jack wagons!" Then he turned to me. "We'll be back." Um, cliché bad guy line alert! He let me go and scampered out the window. The other three Erasers hobbled after him.

"Are you all right?" A security guard asked Fang and me. I nodded as a paramedic came over and started bandaging my bleeding arm. The guard turned to Fang. "Did you know what those things wanted? Or what they were? You seemed to."

Fang shook his head, his silky black hair swishing softly. "I was just acting. I just repeated the information he had given us in a way that sounded logical. Luckily Max, my girlfriend," He motioned to me, "And I take an MMA class together, so we were more than capable of defending ourselves."

The paramedic let me go. "Just be careful with that arm," He said, "Don't let it reopen." I nodded, burying myself against Fang's chest as he put his arms around me.

"A replacement train is coming to push this one forward," A man announced. Most people cheered, unless they were still crying too hard to focus.

"Are you ok?" Fang asked too softly for anyone else to hear. I nodded.

"We'll talk about it later," I said. We took our seats again and waited for the new train.

"Wow, that was so brave," Meredith said. "I totally freaked, but you two seemed so calm!"

"We seemed calm?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, calmer than everyone else at least," Meredith replied. "You didn't freak, you just defended. Are you ok?"

I shrugged and nodded. Except for my arm, a few scratches were all the damage the Erasers had managed to do. I was more shaken up about how badly they wanted my baby. Fang's baby. Our baby.

Fang glared at Meredith, "Did you know that would happen?" He demanded.

Meredith's eyes widened, "No! How could I have known?"

"You didn't call them? Or arrange some sort of meeting? This wasn't a trap?" I pried. This seemed a bit too coincidental. A person like me didn't stay alive by believing in coincidences.

"No!' Meredith's eyes filled with tears. "How could you think I would be heartless enough to do that to you?" Fang and I just watched her warily. Meredith sat back against her seat and stared out the window, tears rolling gently down her face.

"There's no need to cry," I said hesitantly a moment later. "We're just being safe."

Meredith tried to smile, "I know. It's pregnancy hormones. They make everything about ten times more emotional."

"Oh goody," I muttered under my breath. As you know, I'm not an overly emotional person. I hate emotions. They make everything to complicated. If it weren't for emotions, Fang and I wouldn't even be in this damn mess!

I looked at Fang and immediately felt horrible. Our emotions made life sweeter. Sometimes. A life without loving Fang wouldn't be much of a life at all. (Okay, those last few sentences were way cheesy.) I felt a rush of sympathy for Meredith. She didn't have anyone to share feelings with, to comfort her and snuggle with her at night. No wonder she thought I was lucky. I couldn't even imagine going through pregnancy without Fang there. He was my rock, my support.

A few minutes later a backup engine came and began to push our train towards the station, about five minutes away. I sighed and relaxed as Fang held me against his side. That was terrifying.

* * *

When we arrived at the station, reporters with microphones were waiting to talk to the passengers. They were especially eager to talk to Fang and me because we were the main victims of the attack. We managed to hide our faces from the cameras and convince them that we wouldn't give them any information.

Meredith, her tears dried, led us down the street. We turned a few corners and backtracked a couple times before Meredith stopped. Then she held out her arms to the building behind her. "Ta-daa!" I gasped.

* * *

**Dun-dun-dunn! I'm still making you wait. All three of Elise the Amazing's guesses were really close but not quite on the money though. **

**As I've said previously, my chapters are kind of short because I'm trying to keep updating quickly. I promised you a fast update if I got 20 reviews, and you guys gave my almost 30! O_O I was so happy!**

**Once again, I'll update super-soon if I can 35 (total) reviews! That's just seven little nice comments. However, if I get 40 reviews, I'll throw in a little sneak peak of the other Maximum Ride story I'm planning to write. I'm going to post the first chapter a few days after I fininsh the next chapter of this story. I love you all!**


	7. Sonogram

Chapter 6: Sonogram

**I'll be honest, I didn't think anyone would like the last chapter. I'm horrible at writing the "action" parts of stories. I'm much better at writing romance and filler. Oh well, I guess it could have been worse. However, now the Erasers aren't going to be anywhere near the lovebirds for a while, so I don't have to worry about it.**

**Ok, you guys can all thank pearl24 for submitting the 40th review and earning you all a sneak peak of my new story! Technically, one of the reviews was someone telling me they thought my prologue was too descriptive, but I'll let it slide this time. You're welcome. Sneak peak at the end of the chapter, but you have to read the chappie first!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Entertainment Weekly. I do own my characters though, and Babies for Beginners. (I think. It's not a real place, is it?)**

* * *

**Fang POV:**

I looked up at the blue and white building. Meredith was beaming and looked pretty proud of herself. The sign above the doors said _Babies for Beginners-Pregnancy Center_. Below that, in smaller letters, _A non-profit organization._ _All ages welcomed, no judgment passed!_ It sounded perfect. Max was quiet, taking it in.

"I looked this place up when I first came here," Meredith explained. "They helped me a lot. They provide free sonograms and parenting lessons, and everyone here is super nice! They didn't judge at all, and they helped me keep the baby. I didn't know how I would get through without aborting, but they offer financial help too. At least, as much as they can." She motioned with one hand and walked inside.

I took Max's hand, "What do you think?" I murmured. It may have been both of our doing, but the baby was really Max's to carry. I could walk away right now if I wanted to. Not that I want to or would.

"Let's go check it out," She said, and we followed Meredith inside.

It looked similar to a doctor's office, but I didn't stiffen up or feel defensive when we walked in. For one, the main resemblance was to a pediatrician's office, not a hospital. It had chairs set out in a waiting room with magazines on scattered coffee tables. A pregnant woman was reading a back issue of _Entertainment Weekly_ while a man across the room watched the hallway, probably waiting for his wife. (He had a wedding ring.) A receptionist sat behind a desk next to a hallway. I could hear an infant crying from one of the rooms. It also didn't smell like all chemical-like. The pregnancy center smelled like baby powder and leather and very faintly of dirty diaper.

Max looked around with curious eyes. "Why can't hospitals be like this?" She asked. I shrugged.

Meredith walked up to the receptionist, one hand on her bulging stomach. "Hey Sally!" She said cheerfully.

The receptionist, who must have been Sally, looked up from her computer. She smiled. "Hello, Meredith. How are you? Any trouble?"

"Nope, Tyler seems just fine. I just wish pregnancy came with less side effects." Sally smiled.

"At least it's only a few more months."

Meredith shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not here for me and Tyler," She motioned for me and Max to come forward. Max rested her head on my shoulder. "This is Max and her boyfriend Fang. Max is-well, I think you know."

Sally looked us over with blue eyes that were intelligent but kind. She had grayish hair and appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties. Max stepped slightly closer to me.

"Of course. I'll have one of our interns show you around. Feel free to make yourself feel at home. We'll have a nurse with you as soon as you're ready."

"Thank you," Max said. Sally called for an intern on her pager. A moment later, a college-age girl with black hair hanging to her waist came down the hallway next to Sally's desk.

"Hi guys. I'm Ana, and I'll show you around the center." It didn't escape my notice that her jade green eyes flicked up and down my body a couple of times, checking me out. Sadly, it didn't escape Max's notice either, and we all know how Max gets when a girl so much as glances at me. My crazy girlfriend snarled at our guide, and I knew her eyes were flashing with her signature back-off-now-or-you-will-die look. Ana backed up. "Uh, let's go, shall we?" She said nervously, turning and walking down the hallway. A nurse came to take Meredith back for a checkup.

As Max and I followed Ana, I slid my hand out of Max's and used it to brush her hair away from her neck, which I then proceeded to kiss softly. "_You_ are an overprotective b****. Chill out. I love you," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her waist. "It is incredibly sexy when you get pissed though." I added as an afterthought.

Max giggled, and Ana looked at us funny before showing us the first room. Inside were about ten women, all at varying stages of pregnancy. Each one was holding baby doll, and the youngest appeared to be in her early twenties. Eight of them had a man sitting with them, listening to the non-pregnant teacher show them how to swaddle their baby doll. "We give parenting lessons to beginners. Things like behavioral advice, potty training ideas, how to make your baby happiest, that sort of thing."

We kept walking. The next three rooms looked the same as each other, with a hospital bed hooked up to a machine with a monitor and wires connecting to something that vaguely resembled a book scanner at the library. In one room, a woman and her husband were looking at an ultrasound. They looked so happy, it made my heart ache. That man was smart enough not to get the girl he loved knocked up at fifteen. It probably showed more affection to wait until a healthy time. Oh well, too late to realize that now.

The last room had a nurse giving a sobbing infant a check-up. Meredith was waiting in a chair by the door, and she waved at us. Max waved back and I nodded. "This is the check-up room. The nurses know the signs of a healthy or unhealthy infant or pregnancy. However, birthing must be done at the hospital down the street. We don't have the authority to administer treatment other than bed rest.

"So what do you think?" Ana asked. "We get all of our funds from fundraisers and charity events or donations from local businesses or schools or churches. We also give free sonograms and supplies, to an extent."

"It sounds amazing," Max said, "Thank you."

Meredith walked down the hallway with a nurse next to her. "Max, do you want to come get an ultrasound?" The nurse asked. Meredith flashed us a thumbs-up. Max and I looked at each other.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"I think we should. It's free, unlike at the hospital, and it can give us a feel for what our baby will…be like," Max knew I meant mutation-wise. Hopefully Max won't be laying an egg. That would be weird.

"Okay, let's go," Max said. We walked back to the room with the sonogram machine.

"Alright sweetie, lie down on the cot right there," The nurse, named Margie, told Max, gesturing to the bed. Max did while I held her hand. Seeing her lying there holding my hand conjured up a memory that made me chuckle quietly.

"What?" Max asked while the nurse prepared the machine. I shook my head. "Tell me." She commanded.

"This is making me think of the time you said you loved me," I stretched out my arms. "Thiiiiiiis much!" Max swatted at me, laughing.

"It's okay, everyone knows its true now."

The nurse smiled as she rolled an office chair up next to Max. "This is going to be cold," She warned, squirting blue goop onto Max's stomach. Max flinched, then relaxed. I kissed Max's forehead as Margie rubbed the scanner over Max's stomach. "You're very lucky," Margie said as she waited for an image to appear on the screen. "Most guys walk out as soon as their girlfriends break the news. It warms my heart to see two people as genuinely happy as you two in here, even if you are a little young."

Max sighed, "I know, but it's a little late to think about using protection now, isn't it? Now we're homeless with a baby on the way. Meredith said she was going to help us find a condo near her's though."

Margie nodded. "Alright, I'm getting an image," She said, pointing at the monitor. Sure enough, a blurry black-and-white image was appearing slowly. Margie motioned to a white blob near the middle. "This whole thing is Max's womb, and this little blob in the middle is your baby. You can already see that it's growing well for it's age, but we won't be able to determine the gender for a while.

"How pregnant are you?" Margie asked.

Max looked at me uncertainly. "Um, I'm not sure. Five weeks? Six?"

"Six, I think," I said.

"Hm, you look closer to ten weeks," Margie said. "And the heartbeat seems much faster than normal too. That's very concerning. You may need to visit the hospital and see what they think."

Max and I looked at each other, stressed. What were we supposed to say?

"Well," Max said hesitantly, obviously going with the truth. Meredith walked in, wanting to see our results.

"We're not exactly…well Fang and I aren't completely, um, human, per say," Max said nervously.

"What do you mean?" Meredith asked warily, looking at us nervously.

Max looked at me, and very, very slowly, we unfurled our wings. Meredith gasped and Margie pulled back in shock.

"Don't panic!" I said hurriedly. Luckily, neither of them screamed.

"What _are_ you?" Meredith asked.

"Human-Avian hybrids," Max said, "We were experimented on by insane scientists before we were born. They kept us in a lab until we busted out when we were ten. We've been on the run ever since."

"Is that why those guys attacked us on the train?"

I nodded. "We grow faster and have faster heartbeats than normal humans. The baby must be the same."

"Don't say anything to anyone! We're trying our best to keep it a secret. Just, please. We need help, and-" Max's eyes were filling with tears. I kissed her softly.

"Max…." I murmured.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. The hormones are already making me emotional."

Margie breathed through her nose. "Okay, we'll just have to orient your pregnancy schedule around the faster growth. You should be able to find out the sex of the child and feel it move at about twenty weeks normally, so probably closer to thirteen weeks for you. Your pregnancy will probably last six and a half to seven months instead of nine as well."

"Lucky!" Meredith said jealously.

I smiled, and Max grabbed my hand, twining her fingers with mine as Margie cleaned the excess goo off her stomach. Then Max stood up as we prepared to leave.

"Thank you," Max said again. "We would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about…you know. Not even the other nurses."

Margie nodded, her graying hair swishing. "Okay. I'll treat you when you come in again in about two months."

"Do we need an appointment?" I asked.

Margie shook her head. "Nope. Just show up."

"I guess we'll see you then." Max said.

Meredith paid for our tickets on the way back too, despite our protests. This train ride was much more uneventful though, thankfully.

When we got off at the station, Meredith turned to grin at us. "Now let's see about finding you two a home!"

* * *

**Alright here's a sneak peak of my new story.**

_**Ella POV:**_

_I took a deep breath and pushed on the gate. It swung open with an ominous creaking sound. I steeled my nerves and started walking down the stone path. I pushed open the solid oak doors with wolf-head-shaped brass knockers. They weren't even locked._

_Once inside, I was immediately aware of how pitch-black it was. The front door slammed shut behind me. I hadn't touched it, and there was no wind. I was terrified now. But the thought of a date and kissing Ryan Bernoth kept me going._

_My eyes adjusted after a moment. The place was full of old furniture and knickknacks. The weird part was, it didn't look abandoned. There were no cobwebs in sight and dust seemed nonexistent. Not only did it look inhabited, it looked like whoever-or whatever-lived here was very neat._

_Suddenly, I heard breathing behind me. I turned just in time to see a dark shadow vanish through an archway to the next room. However, it may have just been my imagination._

_My hands shaking, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Time to text Ryan. If anything was here, he had a gun. Ryan could protect me. I wrote a simple text._

coast clr. come on. its drk.

_I hit "Send". A second later, a message popped up on the screen. _No service. Message cancelled. _What did it mean "no service"? I tried to call Ryan instead. It rang for a few moments, then a monotonous, robotic voice said, _"Unable to connect. Service unavailable." _I started to panic. What the H-E-double golf clubs was going on?_

_I turned to go out the front door and shout for Ryan and the others to come on, but something blocked the way. I couldn't tell what it was. Suddenly, a dim light turned on. I shrieked. It was an African American girl, about my age, with huge wings extending from her back. A young blonde boy with gray wings flew over to join her. "Don't you people ever learn?" The boy asked._

_"Yeah, like, we're not stupid," The girl backed him up. "We have a cell phone jammer. We knew you were coming, like, half an hour ago."_

_"Who-who a-a-are you?" I was struggling to control my voice. My whole body was shaking._

_"That's of no importance to you," A voice said from the shadows next to the winged kids. A new figure emerged and I stifled another shriek. This girl had brown hair and yellow eyes, slitted like a cat's. She had a yellow spotted tail and matching fur down her arms and legs and face. Thorn-sharp black claws were extended from each of her fingers. I backed away._

_"I'm sure the master will be very pleased to have a new prisoner. It's been so…quiet," She purred. I focused on not hyperventilating. "The others are outside scaring off your friends." As soon as she finished her sentence, I heard terrified screams and a car starting and rolling away. "Naughty, naughty, bringing a gun. Master won't be pleased." _

_Suddenly, I heard a deep growling behind me and the _clack-clack _of claws on marble. Hot breath stirred my hair. "Why, here's the Master now," She said delightedly. I slowly turned around. This time I couldn't hold it in. I screamed as loud as I could._

**What do you think? Intrigued? I'll probably post the first chapter tomorrow. It's called **_**An Enchanted Curse. **_**I hope you'll take the time to check it out. Don't think it will take too much time away from this story though. I'll try to update one or the other every weekend.**

**Eek! Did you guys hear about Japan? Of course you did, what am I asking? Isn't that so scary? And they didn't even have any warning or time to evacuate. Then Hawaii evacuated and all they got were six-foot waves, which are big but not much of a concern. The tsunami in Japan reached up to six miles inland. O_o Six freaking miles! Luckily, I live in hrshmrgl, which is far enough inland and far enough away from a fault line that earthquakes and tidal waves can't reach me. (You didn't reall think I'd give you my real location, did you?) Still...*shudders*. Poor Japanese people. You're in my prayers, Japan!**

**Review please! Tell me what you thought of the chapter and the excerpt. I love you all! Let's try for 48 reviews. Please? I'll update soon.**

**Until then, may all your coins be golden and all your flowers bring you fireball powers. (Quoting that from something my little bro just showed me.) ;)**


	8. Home Sweet Home

Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home

**Thanks to The Storytelling Machine for your…**_**enthusiastic**_** reviews. I don't mind though. If only all my readers had that kind of excitement. :)**

**Disclaimer: Do I own? No.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

Meredith took us to a back office of the condo building she was staying in. Then she knocked on the door. "Casey? It's Meredith. Can I talk to you?"

After a minute, a woman about forty with ashy-blonde hair and big brown eyes answered the door. "Meredith, hi! Sorry, my brother is making _me_ plan his wedding. He's too busy in bed with his fiancé…uh, sorry." She trailed off, looking at Meredith's stomach. I guess she assumed sex was a sensitive subject.

"No problem. I was going to ask if you have somewhere for Max and her boyfriend to live?" Meredith didn't waste any time getting to the point.

Casey looked at us. "Hello. I'm Casey Widefield, but just call me Casey. You're kind of young. Max are you…like Meredith?" Huh. Guess she didn't want to waste time with small talk either.

_Not really. _I thought. _Meredith is one-hundred percent human. _Of course, what I really said was, "You mean knocked up and kicked out? Yep," I tried to sound nonchalant, but I don't think I fooled anyone. "I also feel kind of helpless because Meredith is handing everything to me on a silver platter."

Fang gave me a funny look. "And your complaining…why?"

I just shrugged. "I dunno. It's just weird for me."

"If you want, I can leave and let you fend for your broke, homeless selves," Meredith said, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Whatever."

Casey cleared her throat. "Meredith, why don't you go and I'll talk to Max and…" She trailed off and looked at my boyfriend.

"Fang."

Casey blinked but didn't react otherwise to the name. "I'll talk to Max and Fang about living options." Meredith nodded and waved.

"I'll be upstairs. Come get me when you're done and we'll have dinner." I grinned.

After Meredith was gone Casey turned and led us into her office where we sat on chairs in front of her big wooden desk. "Okay, let's get started." She pulled a folder out of a filing cabinet behind her and sat next to us. "Do either of you have jobs yet?"

"Nope," I said, "We've only been in town for a few days. Luckily we ran into Meredith right away."

"Literally," Fang said, referring to my graceful collision with the pregnant girl earlier that day.

I glared at him and turned back to Casey. "We don't have anywhere to stay yet."

"And all you have are your backpacks?"

"Yep. We have a credit card, some clothes, a family photo, and some non-perishable food."

Casey looked sideways at me, pausing as she flipped through her papers. "Sounds like you know how to pack if you need to keep moving."

Oh, shoot. What was I supposed to say? "We went on lots of overnight hikes and camping trips as kids. Our families were close friends." Thank you Fang! Nice save.

The office owner nodded. "Okay, I have a condo open across the hall from Meredith. The couple there is selling it because they don't have enough money to keep both that and their regular home. They'll be finished moving out in about three days. I'm sure Meredith will let you stay with her during that time."

I didn't really want to take advantage of Meredith anymore than Fang and I already had, but we didn't really have a choice. "That sounds great," I said with a smile.

"Now, are you interested in buying the condo or just paying rent every month?"

"Which is cheaper?" Fang asked.

"Rent," Casey responded. "But if you plan on living here long-term, a mortgage would probably be smarter."

Fang thought about it. He was better at planning ahead than I was, so I let him think. "The main problem is we don't have money for a down payment. We'll have to go with rent, at least until we really get settled." I just shrugged in argeement.

"Rent it is," Casey muttered, marking something on a sheet. "Now, the condo is a little bit more expensive than some other ones nearby, but it comes fully furnished, has three beds, two and a half baths, a small kitchen, a washer and dryer, and a living room. It also has two balconies. It's basically a house.

"Now, since you are renting, you can't renovate or get any new furniture without my permission. You can add little touches like new bedding, photos, little souvenirs, magnets, that sort of thing, provided you will be staying year-round."

"Of course we're staying year-round. Where else would we go?" I asked.

Casey put her hands up, "Hey, I'm required to check. Now, really, I shouldn't let you buy a home until you're eighteen. I'm not entirely sure it's legal," I froze up and felt Fang stiffen beside me, "However, I'll let you do this anyway because the same thing happened to my sister when we were teens. I haven't heard from her since. I'll need you to fill these out.

"Since this month only has a week left and you'll only be there for half of it, I won't charge you yet. By this time next month though, you'll need to be ready to pay."

Fang nodded. "We should at least have jobs by then. Thank you."

"No problem," Casey smiled, "I'll leave you two alone to fill these out. The only problem is you probably won't be able to sell the condo until you're eighteen if you decide to buy."

"Well, we're going with rent for now," I said as Fang looked through the papers. Casey stood up and left.

Fang looked at me as we looked through the paperwork. "Alright, we need last names and birthdays to fill this out. We can set up new emails, get phones, and give Casey that information later."

I nodded, "My last name can be Martinez and yours will be Ride. That just makes the most sense. And you should probably put Nicholas as your first name instead of Fang. I'll write Maxine."

"And middle names?"

I thought about it, "Just pick something."

We finished filling out the paperwork, making up things like birth city and the names of Fang's parents. In the end I was Maxine Andrea Martinez, born to Valencia Martinez and Jeb Batchelder in Phoenix, Arizona on February twenty-sixth. Fang was Nicholas Brandon Ride, born to Nina and Jacob Ride in New York, New York on October seventeenth. I wrote this information down on a spare notepad I had in my backpack so we wouldn't forget.

I was super-thankful for _Babies For Beginners_ because now that we were getting free sonograms, we could rent a home. I made a mental note to thank Meredith a hundred times later.

We handed the papers to Casey when she came back. Then she gave us Meredith's room number and we headed upstairs to get her.

* * *

Fang and I stepped into our new home. It made me all giddy to think about it. This was where Fang and I would be living, at least until the baby was born. This was going to be so much better than trying to raise a baby on the run. We had spent the past three days buying a whole new wardrobe for Fang and I, which Meredith had stored at her apartment and was going to help us move later that day. Meredith bought me a bunch of T-shirts and cute but modest tops (which I think irritated Fang a little). I also got some cute new jeans and shorts. Meredith said she would take me to a maternity clothes store in a few months. Fang's whole wardrobe consisted of clothes that were-wait for it-black. Yeah, I was "stunned" too.

We had also kept our eyes open for job opportunities. We had seen a few and had no doubt that there would be more if we looked deeper.

Fang and I looked around the small kitchen, the first thing we saw as we came in. The size didn't bother me because I (obviously) wouldn't be spending much time there. Across from the kitchen opened into the living room, complete with a couch, loveseat, TV, DVD player, and stereo. It also had a door that led to one of our balconies. I watched Fang as he walked outside to look at the mountains. Talk about an amazing view. I mean, of the mountains. Not of Fang. Or his perfect butt. Not that I've looked at it. Excessively. Moving on...

From the living room was another door that led to the first bedroom, which had one twin bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, and it's own bathroom with a shower, a sink, and a toilet, but no bathtub.

On the other side of the kitchen was the master suite where Fang and I would be sleeping. The second, smaller balcony lead off this room. Next to that was the laundry room, a little closet with a stacked washer and dryer. Next to _that_ was the half bath, which consisted of just a toilet and a sink.

The last bedroom had a double bed and a walk-in closet but no bathroom. It also had this really cool alcove surrounded by windows on three sides with a cushon to sit on. It would be great for reading or drawing or just thinking.

After we explored the whole place, Fang pulled me down onto our queen size bed. My back was to him and he pulled himself close to nuzzle me. "So what do you think?" He asked between kisses on my neck.

I shivered and murmured back, "It's wonderful. Just like you."

Fang ran his hands up and down my body before rolling me over to kiss my mouth over and over again in little tender kisses. I giggled (yeah, I know) and pushed him back. "Maybe we should close the blinds first."

Our master suite was totally beast. We had a walk-in closet with room for all of our clothes, a Jacuzzi tub in our bathroom, and a shower with two shower heads. Not that Fang and I would be sharing anytime soon. One baby was enough for this teen. We had just enough space to squeeze a crib into the room for when the kid came. The windows took up all of the walls to our left and directly in front of the bed, providing us with spectacular views of the mountains. We also had these awesome blinds that were remote controlled.

Fang pushed the button that closed them and went back to kissing me softly. I twisted my fingers into his hair and kissed him harder. Of course, it wasn't long until my legs were around his waist while he sucked on my neck and made me moan. "Guys, are you gonna help me with your clothes or what?" We pulled apart to see Meredith looking at us with her arms full of our new clothes and wearing a slightly miffed expression. **(AN: Did I really just use the word miffed?)**

"Sorry," I muttered sheepishly as Fang and I untangled ourselves. Meredith rolled her eyes and went to get some more of our stuff. Fang grabbed my hand as we went to help. Maybe we were screwed, but at least we were together.

* * *

**That was a horrible chapter, I know. I tried to add a little Fax at the end to make it less terrible.**

**Okay, warning you beforehand that I won't be updating next weekend because I'm updating An Enchanted Curse. I feel bad because the next chapter will probably be short and all lame filler and stuff. I'm just trying to build a life for Fax. But the next few chapters after that will have some serious drama…but enough of that. Don't give up on me please!**

**Guess what? I'M GOING ON A CRUISE! In January. -_- I have to wait nine freaking months! But my aunt already bought the tickets, so we're definitely going. It's on New Year's Day, so I guess we can't play Just Dance for seven consecutive hours again like we did this year. Oh well. I still can't wait. We're riding the new Carnival ship _Magic. _I know you guys don't care, but I'm so jazzed about going on my first cruise that I wrote it anyway!**

**Can someone explain betas to me? I don't understand how they work.**

**Review! Let's try for at least 60, shall we?**


	9. Settling In

Chapter 8: Settling In

**Thanks to all of my reviewers!**

**Ally:**** Wow. I'll try to update as much as possible, but for now I'm going to stick with the schedule I have. Hopefully you can refrain from going into withdrawal.**

**Thalia Grace DaughterofZeus13:****The Flock will be there in the next chapter. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them.**

**Rhaksha Ora:**** I'll work on it. I agree that Meredith shouldn't be single, but I haven't found a good time for her to get a boyfriend yet.**

**This chapter is lame, but my real focus is the next chapter, which I've been excited about writing for a while.**

* * *

**Fang POV:**

"What do you think we should do for jobs?" I asked. Max thought about it.

"Hmm…well, I was thinking I could get a job at that ice cream shop. I don't know about you. Of course, we'll have to pick jobs that don't require any sort of degree. That's another point. Education. Even if we enroll in high school, we'll be way behind and tuition isn't cheap."

I took a deep breath and ran both of my hands through my hair, "And just when I thought things were getting easier."

Max snuggled against my side, "I know. But things are never easy for us, are they? I guess we just let our guard down." We were cuddling on the couch and thinking about the next step now that we had a home. We needed jobs, and even though it was only May, when school started again in August, we would need to go. Max and I both knew it, as bad as it would be.

I kissed the top of Max's head. "They're never easy, but we get by. Always have, always will."

"But what will happen when we can't?"

I looked at her. Max's chocolate eyes were staring at my shadowy ones, full of worry and pain. It was a side she only showed me, but I didn't like it. Max was supposed to be fearless, invincible. It made me hurt to see her this way.

"There won't be a "we can't"," I said firmly. "We were made to survive, and we will. I have complete confidence in you."

Her lips brushed mine. "This is why _you're _my perfect other half," she said. I smiled.

"So, when _are_ we going to contact the Flock?" I asked, the Dylan reference bringing the topic up.

"Not until after the baby is born, definitely. And I'd like to give him or her a few years to grow before they get introduced to the Flock. Three or four years, at least," her voice slowed and I watched her expression fall as she said this. I knew this hurt Max more than anything, but we were no strangers to sacrifices. We were doing this for each other and our almost-two-month-old unborn child.

I pressed my forehead to hers. "It's too late to go back, but we don't need to wait that long."

"We can reconsider later," Max leaned her head on my shoulder and changed the subject. "Right now let's focus on jobs."

I thought about it. "I guess I could get a job in that little bookstore/café. They had a "Help Wanted " sign on the door."

Max nodded, "Okay, tomorrow we'll go job searching," she lifted her head and gave me an impish smirk. "But for now…." I grinned in anticipation as Max slid one leg across my waist so she was straddling me. Our lips connected hungrily.

* * *

I headed to the local bookstore. Max had suggested we split up and meet back at the apartment later. I opened the door and was greeted with the musty smell of a room full of books.

A girl a little older than me looked up from her post at the check-out counter as I walked in. Her eyes scanned me, glowing with interest. I decided that it was a good plan for Max to do her own thing, or I definitely would _not_ be getting a job. Just so all you lonely guys know, it (not to sound vain or anything) actually gets kind of old, being hot. Well, it does when you have an overprotective girlfriend.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked with a flirting lilt in her voice.

"Yes," I said, not wasting time, "I was wondering if it was possible for me to get a job here?"

"Of course!" She gushed excitedly, obviously thinking I would make great boy-toy material. She left to get someone that could talk to me about getting a job. The girl had red hair down to her waist and eyes so green they could almost be described as violent.

Angel had once told me that Max hated redheads because I apparently had a "thing" for them. Honestly? I had liked all of two people besides Max and both of them _happened_ to be gingers. Besides, Dr. Brigid was an adult and I was a minor, so that would be pedo. Really, I just like red hair because it reminds me of the red tint Max's hair has when the sun shines on it.

The girl came back with another one of the buttons on her blouse undone (pointless, because Max's chest was much better) and an older lady with a tag on her shirt that said _Manager_.

"So you need a job?" The manager lady asked. "Well, we could use a few extra hands. What do you go by, son?"

"Fang," I said simply.

She looked at me in a way that clearly said "Kids these days", but she didn't comment.

"I haven't seen you around Fang. Are you new here?"

"Yep."

"Not much of a talker, huh?" She smiled at me. "I'm Mrs. Zalda. Come with me and we'll talk in my office."

She led me to a door closer to the little coffee shop connected to the bookstore. "So, tell me about your life Fang. Are your parents around?" I stiffened, then sighed. I looked at her and recited our cover story, about running away to Vegas and stuff. The human one.

When I was done, Mrs. Zalda just looked at me for a minute. "So you need a job to support your pregnant girlfriend? And your parents don't know where you are?"

"Yes ma'am" I said, hanging my head slightly. Of course Max and I hadn't spent much time thinking about how disapproving other people would be of our story.

She looked at me. "Why not just get an abortion?"

I looked her straight in the eye, "We're not getting an abortion," I said firmly. "That would be worse, in my opinion." I prepared defend our choice, but Mrs. Zalda was nodding her head.

"I'm Catholic and pro-life. While I don't approve of teen pregnancy, I'm glad you didn't abort," she smiled at me again. "I like the cut of your gem, Fang. You're hired."

I smiled, something that rarely happened. "Thank you. I can start whenever."

Mrs. Zalda pulled something off of a shelf and handed it to me. "Okay, here's your schedule and uniform. And is Max needs a job, she's definitely welcome here too."

I thanked her again and left. The red-headed girl grinned at me as I came out. "You got the job? Fabulous! I'm Nellie, and I'll be happy to help you with anything you need," She smiled at me again, and I left with a nod. No need to encourage her. I walked home to tell Max the good news. I hope things went as well for her.

**Max POV:**

I walked into the ice cream store/restaurant at the end of the street. It was still mostly full because the lunch rush had just ended. An Indian girl **(AN: Actual Indian, not Native American.)** looked up at me as I walked in and a bell on the door jingled. She smiled, "Hi, can I help you?"

"Yeah," I said, making an effort to sound as friendly as I could. "Would it be possible for me to get a job here?"

The girl, about seventeen, smiled. "Hey, I've seen you before. You're Meredith's friend that just moved in, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. Max."

"I'm Kima. It's nice to meet you," she leaned against the counter, "I'm sure we have an opening." She turned and called into a back room. A man walked out.

"So, you need a job?" He looked at me. "Hm. I don't see why not. Come back here and tell me about yourself."

I walked into his office, a little thing with a desk and two chairs. I sat in the spare one nervously. His nameplate said "Mitchell Carson".

Mr. Carson motioned for me to start talking. I took a deep breath and told him all about running away from home, getting knocked up, angry parents, the whole shebang. He looked at me for a long time when I was done. I could only hope Fang had gotten a job, because I wasn't too confident about my chances.

"Alright, you can have the job."

I looked up in surprise, "Really?"

Mr. Carson nodded. "I'm not heartless. You obviously need as much money as you can get. Work hard."

I beamed, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I walked out of his office with a schedule in hand. "So you got the job?" Kima asked, beaming.

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "I'm totally shocked."

"Why?" Kima asked, "Hang on," she turned around to help a family order their lunch. They handed her a few twenties. "And four thirty-seven is your change…" she muttered, not even looking at the readout on the monitor. She turned back to me.

"How did you do the math that fast?" I asked in surprise. I probably would have stood there for twenty minutes trying to figure it out.

Kima tilted her head slightly, "My mom is a high school teacher. She tutors me and makes sure my grades are up to snuff."

"Do you think she could tutor me and Fang over the summer?"

"Who's Fang?" Kima asked.

I almost couldn't stop a dreamy smile spreading across my face. Almost. "My boyfriend. Or," I leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You could call him my baby daddy."

Kima gasped, her eyes widening. She looked at my stomach, "You're…." I nodded. "No wonder Meredith likes you so much. I think she felt kind of lonely. Anyway, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind tutoring you guys," Kima grinned. "We live in the same building as you, but a floor lower. You're across from Meredith, right?"

"Yep."

"I get off at five. We'll come over around dinner time for a proper introduction."

"See you then!" I waved and left.

* * *

Fang's fingers ran up and down my back, over and over. It was incredibly relaxing. We were snuggling in bed as rain splattered the windows. After we had both gotten home, we shared our good news about jobs and then we made out. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Kima and her mom Sonya had come over with lasagna and we had eaten and talked and had a nice time. Sonya gave me a sympathetic look when I told her about my pregnancy. Then I made up a story on the spot about how our old school district was less privileged so Fang and I weren't that well educated. She agreed to tutor us in a month when school got out.

After they left it started to rain, so Fang and I had put on our pajamas and crawled into bed. The weather knocked out the TV signal, so we were listening to Fang's iPod, which he brought with him (I swear, besides me, I don't think anything matters more to the boy), and just enjoying each other's company. Nothing hot. Nothing inappropriate. Just curled up together while Fang rubbed my back. It was nice.

Life was going great, all things considered. I didn't know that I was just a few weeks away from doing something that would potentially ruin our whole relationship.

* * *

**Ok, I have a valid question for you guys. Does this story make sense to you? I mean, does anything seem random or out of place? I have this whole story planned out in my head, so I realized that some things may make sense to me but not to you. Seriously, I already know how the entire last chapter is going to go. That's why I was going to look into getting a beta, but I don't understand how betas work. I'm always open to feedback.**

**We watched _The Princess Bride_ in my English class because we just finished reading the book. The movie was amazing. The book? Not so much. The movie also gave me some words to live by. "Life isn't fair. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something." Or something like that. Does anyone else who has seen it agree that Westley needs to shave his crazy caterpillar mustache? He was hot without it. Wow. How random am I?**

**Yay! Lots of reviews! My goal is to reach 100 reviews by chapter 12, so if I could get anywhere from 70-75 reviews, I'd be really happy! Of course I'm fine with getting more than that. And remember to check out my other story, _An Enchanted Curse_!**


	10. Negative Energy

Chapter 9: Negative Energy

**Alright, due to popular demand, I moved part of the Flock half of the chapter to the beginning. It was originally at the end. As I said, I didn't forget about them, I was just waiting for this part.**

**I lOvE gIrAfFeS, it's ok. (You read this story, right? If not I guess I'm talking to no one.) Anyway, chill. I'll type as fast as I can, but I've got stuff to do. You can't be a straight A student without a little effort. I'll update on weekends and I appreciate your dedication. Sorry I have to say this in public, but I can't PM you because you don't have an account.**

**Ohhh, this chapter has drama galore! Well, in my opinion.**

**Disclaimer: Yo no tengo Maximum Ride. (I think that's Spanish for "I don't own Maximum Ride".)**

* * *

**Nudge POV:**

I stared listlessly at the TV. I missed Max. I missed her yelling at us to get off our lazy butts and be proactive. I missed complaining about her and Fang making kissy-face every time you turned a corner.

Things hadn't really been the same since they left. Dylan was doing the best he could, but you could tell his heart wasn't really in it. None of ours were. The bright side was Dr. M and Ella visited often to check on us, and Angel said Max's mom was considering moving up to Colorado to be with us. Ella and Iggy were still blind to how much the other one liked them, so they _still_ weren't together. I was getting really close to just telling them how the other felt.

I felt sadness stab my chest again as I thought about Max and Fang, how they used to be the same way. Angel and I were so ecstatic when they finally got together. It was cute at first, but it did get a little nauseating to see them constantly shoving their tongues down each other's throats.

Then they left, and I couldn't help thinking, what if it as all an act? Maybe the whole teary letter was just a way of letting us off easy. Maybe they got fed up with taking care of us and left so they could make-out in peace whenever they wanted!

_Nudge, I don't think that's it._ Angel spoke in my mind.

I frowned. Angel and I weren't really on the same wavelength anymore, not since she had gotten all weird and power-hungry. _Uh, Nudge? I can hear your thoughts, you know._

_I don't care._ It was true. _Besides, I thought you said their minds were blocked, so you don't know why they left!_

_Well, I don't know the exact reason, but I'm pretty sure you're wrong. Besides, you saw the tear marks on the note. They were genuinely sad to leave. Even Fang._

I blinked rapidly to push back tears. I felt a strong hand on my back. "You okay?" I turned to see Dylan watching me.

"Yeah," I whispered, "It's just…I still miss them, y'know?"

Dylan pulled me into a hug. "Don't worry sweetie. I know how you feel." Before he could get up on his soapbox about him and Max and how perfect they were for each other, Iggy came in and asked if I could help him make dinner.

I walked into the kitchen, grateful that Iggy thought to include me. His meals had become more and more extravagant as he used cooking to distract himself from depression. On the bright side, everything he made was delicious.

We took turns running to the store for groceries and clothes and anything else we needed. Luckily, Erasers had only attacked once, two days after _they_ left. The funny thing was, once they realized Max wasn't here, they left. None of us got hurt too badly, so all we really needed were band-aids.

It had now been almost two months since we had been left on our own. The Erasers' reaction to Max not being here made me realize that, in the scientists' eyes, we weren't important. Only Max was important, and whoever she chose as a "mate". It was pretty degrading.

"Hey, you okay?" Iggy's sightless eyes were focused on his cooking, but I knew he was worried.

"Yeah. It's just strange, you know? The wedding was such a happy occasion, but right after it our lives were flipped upside down and ruined and ever since we've been lonely and stressed and I don't know what to do because we obviously-"

"Nudge," Iggy chided gently. "I know."

We were quiet for another moment until I asked, "Do you think Dr. Martinez would enroll us in school? Or me, at least. I think that, since we obviously won't be chased unless Max is around, we need a normal life with jobs and stuff. And we could, like, have something to actually _do_, and we could have friends and a social life-" I was cut off again, this time by a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Gazzy called.

Iggy head turned in the general direction of the door. "Huh. I thought Dr. M and Ella weren't getting here until tomorrow?"

I shrugged, "Guess they're here early," Iggy and I walked towards the front door. Then we froze, just like everyone else, and stared gaping at the figure in the doorway. After a few heartbeats of dead silence, I choked out the one thing I knew everyone was thinking.

"_Fang?_"

* * *

*_Three days earlier*_

**Max POV:**

Fang opened the door with groceries in his arms. I glanced at him briefly before putting another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth and turning back to the TV. Fang set the bags down and looked at me. "You could come help, you know," he said as he started unpacking them.

"And you could be making me some hot chocolate, you know," I countered, "But I don't see you doing that either!" I had become really cranky lately and my food cravings were _definitely_ coming into effect. I couldn't fly and I had back cramps. Did Fang have to go through any of that? No. No he didn't. So he needed to stop complaining and get me my freaking hot cocoa.

He looked at me in exasperation. "Now!" I snapped. Fang grabbed the hot chocolate mix out of the cabinet and irritably started making me my drink. I put the now-empty ice cream tub on the coffee table as my show came back on.

Two minutes later, Fang brought me a mug of steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream on top. It looked amazing, but I wasn't in the mood to tell him that.

"What are you watching?" Fang asked as I took a sip.

"_Sixteen and Pregnant_," I said, which had, surprise, surprise, become my favorite show lately. "Did you put butter in this?" I asked him, detecting the flavor I was missing.

Fang gave me a funny look out of the side of his eyes. "Butter?"

"Yes! My freaking food cravings want _butter_!" Fang angrily snatched my cup and went to put a spoonful of butter in it. I didn't really _want_ to be such a bitch to Fang, but I couldn't help it. My hormones made me moody and I yelled at Fang without really meaning to. Then I would cuddle and apologize to him later, and the cycle would repeat itself.

It seemed to be getting worse lately. I don't know why, but I think it was mainly residual anger from previous arguments. There was just a lot of negative energy between us.

Here's a quick update on the other aspects of our lives. It turns out public school is free, so that wasn't actually a concern. Mrs. Sonya was tutoring us and had enrolled us to start at the local high school next month. Meredith was currently living at the hospital because her baby was due in less than a week. Fang and I were planning to take the train over to _Babies for Beginners _this weekend and find out if our child was a boy or a girl. If I wasn't so damn moody, things would have been going great.

Fang brought back my cup and sat down next to me. After a few sips I turned to him again and snapped, "Put some peanut butter in here!"

"Do it yourself!" Fang retorted.

I turned to him angrily. "Ex-_cuse_ me?"

His dark eyes met mine, pitch black. "You heard me."

I stood up, livid, "You're supposed to be helping me!"

"Yeah, _helping_ you, not being your slave. You are perfectly capable of walking to the kitchen and putting crap in your own drink."

I slammed my foot down, "Look buddy, I've got soreness and troubles of my own as people I don't even _know_ give me disgusted looks and give me a hard time for this!" I motioned to my baby bump, which had become prominent about a week ago, "You screwed me up bad so I would appreciate it if you would put some damn peanut butter in my cocoa!"

Fang stood up too, "I have to endure those looks too! People know I screwed you up. And for the record, it takes two to tango, Max. That baby is more than just my fault!"

"What are you saying? You know, if you were able to control your stupid hormones, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME? IT'S YOUR FAULT TOO! THIS KID IS HALF YOURS!" I was starting to get the feeling that Fang was arguing the wrong side of the argument. Isn't the girl supposed to argue that the kid is partially the father's?

We were shouting now, "WELL I DON'T SEE YOU CARRYING IT AROUND WHILE IT GIVES YOU BACK PAIN AND MOOD SWINGS AND MAKES YOU WANT TO EAT TONS OF SHIT! PARDON ME FOR BEING PISSED! SORRY I FEEL LIKE I GOT THE WORSE END OF THE DEAL!"

"I'M SORRY TOO! SORRY I KNOCKED UP SUCH A BITCH! I'M TRYING TO HELP BUT CAN ONLY DO SO F***ING MUCH! I'M AT BREAKING POINT, MAXIMUM!"

Fang's use of my full name shocked me, but not enough to stop the worst words in the world from leaving my mouth, "I WISH IT WAS DYLAN'S! I BET HE WOULDN'T HAVE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINED ABOUT TRIVIAL TASKS WHILE HIS PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND CARRIED HIS DAMN CHILD! HE WAS KIND AND UNDERSTANDING AND HE WASN'T SO. DAMN. _PIGHEADED_. I WISH I _HAD_ CHOSEN HIM!"

Silence. Total, utter, crushing silence. I wanted to take the words back, but I couldn't. My mouth wouldn't work. Something slammed against my jaw, and I stumbled back onto the couch as our bedroom door slammed. Fang had hit me.

I sat there in shock until he came out again with his black backpack almost full. Fang grabbed a few things from the kitchen and stuffed them in there before turning to me. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but he just closed it again and shook his head before he walked straight out the door of our apartment.

**Fang POV:**

I flew for three days straight. I only stopped to sleep once and take two bathroom breaks a day. The first two days, I wasn't even going anywhere. I just flew in huge circles, begging my anger to burn off.

How could Max say that to me? Could it…could it even be true? I didn't want it to be, I really didn't. But what if it was? Maybe she just ran away with me because she felt guilty, because she didn't know how to tell him. Maybe our whole life here had been a guilt-ridden illusion.

I blinked tears away. That's right, that bitch made me, the great Fang, cry. I hated her, but I loved her. And now I was just really confused.

The third day, I decided what to do. Max was going to apologize or live like Meredith. It was that simple. I angled myself towards the Flock's house, praying they were still there. I needed a place to rest.

**Nudge POV:**

Fang. Was. Here.

After our initial shock, I opened my mouth to bombard him with questions. "What are you-" I was cut off by his aura/body language. It was like a wall of negative energy slamming into me. Never ever _ever _had I seen Fang so pissed off. He was livid.

"Need a place to stay," Fang's words were short and bitter. It was more than obvious that he and Max had fought, and it had been bad. I couldn't think of another explanation for him to be here without her and look so upset.

I blinked. "Yeah, your room is still empty. Go ahead." Fang nodded and walked towards his bedroom.

"Hang on," Dylan grabbed Fang's arm, stopping him. Fang's body stiffened and I think we could all tell that this couldn't end well. "Where's Max? You can't just leave us all and come back, expecting open-" Fang twisted around and pinned Dylan to the wall with one arm.

"You listen to me, you bastard," Fang voice was low and deadly. _I _almost wet myself, so I could only imagine how Dylan was feeling, "Max is none of your business. And if you bring her up or even get within ten feet of me while I'm here, I promise I will snap your neck. Understand?" Without waiting for an answer, Fang threw Dylan to the ground and stalked off, slamming his door behind him.

I knew we were all left with one question in our minds. What the Hell happened?

**Max POV:**

I woke up the next morning and immediately sprinted over to the bathroom, throwing my innards into the toilet. I waited for strong hands to rub my back, calloused but soft hands to pull my hair out of my face, but they didn't come.

I finished puking and stood up. I had barf in my hair, so now I had to take a shower. I felt a flash of irritation. Where was that boy?

I was about to step into the shower when I was slammed by a wall of memory. Last night, yelling, Fang leaving. Guilt crushed my chest and I burst into tears. How could I have said that to him? Now he was gone. I fell to the floor, sobbing, and faced with the realization that I was completely and I was totally alone.

What had I done?

* * *

**O_o Dun-dun-duunnnn. And now you must wait two weeks until my next update. Unless…twenty **_**different **_**people review for this chapter. Then I'll try to squeeze in a sooner update after I finish my next chapter of AEC. It's up to you!**


	11. Alone

Chapter 10: Alone

**Ok, thanks to the bazillions of reviews I got, I decided to update this weekend instead of next weekend. You're welcome. Well, actually, I guess I have to thank you because not only did reach my goal of 100 reviews **_**before**_** chapter 12 like I had planned, I now have over 110. Thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Chick-Fil-A.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

I stared at the ceiling and rubbed my growing stomach. I wanted to call Fang, to text him and say I was sorry, but I couldn't. I was terrified that if I did, he would reply and say that he wouldn't come back. That the "F" in Fax was dead and gone, because he hated me now. And he had every right to.

It had been three days since Fang had left, and I hadn't heard anything from him. I had my phone always on and in my pocket in case he called. Other than that, I had wallowed in self pity and gone back and forth on contacting him for days.

Suddenly, a high-pitched beeping came from my waist. My heart jumped before I realized that it wasn't my phone. It was just my baby pager, which would beep when Meredith went into labor.

My eyes flew open. My baby pager! Meredith was having Tyler soon! I hopped up and started brushing my hair and teeth, putting on my shoes, etc. I looked in the mirror and realized that I was a wreck. I had done nothing but cry, eat, and sleep for three days, so my hygiene wasn't at the civilized standard I had grown used to. Oh well, too late for that now.

I raced to the train station as fast as I could. (Which, since I was the bird-kid equivalent of five months pregnant, wasn't terribly fast at all.) I was still lucky enough to catch the train two minutes before it left.

The train ride was tense and hurried, at least for me. Not only did I need to be there to support my best girlfriend as she went into labor, I was going to get a glimpse of my future. I heard having a baby hurt like Hell, but I had endured some pretty horrid stuff. Stuff no one else, especially not my kid, should ever have to go through.

When I arrived at the hospital, the receptionist immediately gave my stomach a skeptical look. People are so judgmental. Pain laced my heart as I remembered when I told Fang that a few days ago, and he laughed and said it was ironic for me to call someone else judgmental. I got control of my emotions and told the lady, "I'm here to see Meredith Sawyer."

The lady nodded and gave me Meredith's room number. I thanked her and handed over the pager before heading to Meredith's hospital room.

Meredith looked up at me as I walked in. She attempted a smile, but it quickly turned into a pained grimace as she experienced a contraction. "You're doing great," the nurse soothed, "Less than an hour and you'll have a beautiful baby boy."

I walked over to Meredith, "That looks painful."

She looked at me, "You have no freaking idea. I thought being pregnant was bad!" I gave her my best sympathetic look as her look morphed to one of confusion, "Where's Fang? You two are normally inseparable."

Immediately I stiffened. Before I could help myself, my eyes flooded with tears. "Oh no…." Meredith said, guessing that Fang had left. However, she didn't know the horrible reason _why_.

"Yeah, I…I said some things I shouldn't have," I blinked away the tears as Meredith cringed in pain again.

"Do tell," she said, "I know it hurts, but I really need a distraction."

I pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "Well…Fang and I have been fighting lately. Stress, you know?" Meredith nodded, "We had a really bad argument three nights ago. I'm not really sure how it started. All I remember was there was a lot of yelling, and then…," I trailed off, tears streaking my face. I felt so horrible. I really was a bitch.

"And then…?" Meredith prompted.

"Back at our old home, I was the center of a love triangle. There was this other guy, named Dylan, who was crazy obsessed with me. He would go on and on about how he was my "perfect other half". My parents approved of Dylan and hated Fang, so Fang got really protective whenever Dylan was around.

"Anyway, when Fang and I were fighting…I don't know what came over me. I said that I…that I wished that Dylan was my baby daddy," Meredith gasped, either from shock or the pain of another contraction. They were coming faster now. "Fang left. I haven't seen or talked to him since." I was whispering by the end of my story.

"Have you called him?" Meredith demanded before wincing.

I shook my head, still silently sobbing.

"Call him!" she snapped and flinched again. The nurse told Meredith that she would need to push in just a few minutes.

I took my phone out of my pocket with shaking hands. I hit Fang's number on speed dial and lifted the phone to my ear. It rang…and rang…and rang some more. "Hey, it's Fang. You reached my voicemail. Leave a message." My heart almost stopped beating. I couldn't even fool myself into believing his phone died because he had taken the charger. I knew Fang didn't want to talk to me.

"No answer," I whispered numbly. Meredith let out a cry.

Two more nurses came in as the first one told Meredith to push. I was distracted from thoughts of Fang as I gave Meredith words of encouragement. Her face turned red and sweat beaded on her forehead. I knew she had to be in a lot of pain. "We can see the head Meredith! Just one more time!"

Meredith gave one last cry and the nurse picked up a small bundle to bring over to the heater. Meredith gasped and relaxed back against the bed. "You did it," I said, grabbing her hand. "Tyler's out."

The nurse brought back a swaddled lump and placed it in Meredith's arms. The look on my friend's face was…indescribable. She looked happy, loving, relieved, and thousands more emotions that a mother feels when they see their child. One day I would feel like that, but it seemed Fang never would.

"Come meet him," Meredith said. Tyler began to wail. Meredith bounced him up and down and murmured "Shhh…" as I leaned in. His hands and face were miniscule, a super tiny person. It was amazing and adorable and sweet. I wanted one. And I wanted Fang by me when I had it.

Meredith guessed what was going on in my head. "Leave him a message or text him. Then, if he doesn't answer, at least he'll have heard you out."

I nodded and stepped into the hallway to do just that as a nurse came to check on Meredith and Tyler. I dialed Fang's number again and again received voicemail. "Fang? It's-It's Max. I'm sorry. I don't know why I said what I did. Call me back. Please?" I hung up. I wasn't very good with words. I also texted him and said the same thing. Then I walked back into Meredith's room as one of the nurses said, "You'll need to stay overnight."

Tyler was asleep, curled against his mother. I walked over to them and the nurse left. It was seven o'clock already, and the last train left in an hour. Meredith looked expectantly at me. "I got voicemail, so I left Fang a message and texted him. I don't what else to do unless he replies."

"Why don't we eat dinner? You can stay the night and then tomorrow walk down the street to see what sex your baby is."

"Without Fang?" I gasped.

Meredith shrugged, "Maybe hearing that he's having a daughter or son will make Fang want to come back."

"I guess," I sighed, "I'll go get some Chick-Fil-A. Be back in a bit."

**Fang POV:**

I heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Dr. M and Ella. I knew Ella would question me like mad, seeing as she knew about the kid. I had left Max four days ago. Yesterday she had called and texted, but I had ignored it. Not even her teary voicemail made me ready to forgive her yet. A couple more days, and I would head back.

The Flock, especially Dylan, had pretty much avoided me the last twenty-four hours, which was pretty easy because I only left my room to eat and use the restroom. After about fifteen minutes I heard a light tap on my door. "Fang? It's Ella."

"Come in," I sighed. It was useless to tell her otherwise. Ella hesitantly closed the door behind her and came to sit on my bed.

"What happened? Is Max okay?" I looked away, not wanting to talk about it. "Fang, you at least owe that to me. I have my mind blocked, so what you say won't leave this room."

There was a long moment of silence. "She said she would have preferred Dylan over me," I said in a stiff monotone.

"She _didn't_."

"She did. But it was partially my fault. We were fighting and I called her a bitch…," I turned to Max's stricken sister, "I hit her Ella. How can we go back after that?"

Ella looked thoughtfully at me. "Has she tried to apologize? Have you?"

"She called and texted yesterday, but I didn't respond," I admitted.

"Why? You obviously miss her."

"I'm not ready to accept an apology just yet. A few more days."

Ella grimaced, "Well, then you can't really mope, can you?" Her eyes softened, "So how's the baby?"

I gave a humorless laugh, "The pregnancy is giving us Hell, obviously. We were going to get another sonogram this weekend, find out the gender," I sighed. I hadn't told Max this, but I really, really wanted a daughter. I wasn't a hundred percent sure why, but I did.

"Well, if you refuse to talk to her, you can't whine about it. Obviously what she said was wrong, but she apologized. Max didn't mean it." I didn't respond, so Ella left.

I sat in my room and played pinball on my laptop until dinner, trying to forget my girlfriend. I ignored my phone when it rang. And rang again. It buzzed for a text message. Then it rang again. I still didn't answer.

**Ella POV:**

I walked downstairs, thinking about what Fang said. No way would Max have meant what she said about Dylan. Fang needed to talk to her.

"Hey Ells," Iggy walked past and sensed my discord, "You okay?" I smiled at him weakly, though he couldn't see it.

"I'm fine. I was just talking to Fang."

Iggy turned towards me, his eyes focused just to the left of mine. "_Seriously? _He won't talk to anyone! Why are you an exception?" he asked suspiciously. I shrugged and pushed past him, not wanting to hide anything else. I wanted to talk to Iggy, I really did, but Max and Fang's baby wasn't my secret to reveal.

I read my book for the next hour until Mom tapped on my door and said, "Dinner." I walked into the dining room.

Iggy made Chicken Cordon Bleu*. We had Caesar salad and fresh rolls on the side. It smelled amazing. Fang came in and sat wordlessly at the end of the table, glaring at nothing. We talked and ate, simply ignoring Fang, which he seemed to prefer.

Just before we finished eating, Fang's phone rang. He let it ring, not making any effort to answer it. I snapped, "For God's sake, answer the damn phone! She obviously wants to talk to you!" Fang looked at me, startled. Then he stood up, put his empty plate in the sink, and went over to the corner of the kitchen to listen to his voicemail.

"Geez, anger management issues much?" Iggy asked me. I shrugged.

"I've been here a few hours and I'm already tired of him moping. I decided to be productive."

Nudge looked at me. "You do why they left, don't you? Why won't you tell us? I bet they wouldn't even be mad because then we would know and we could help them and-" Something clattered to the ground. We turned to see Fang's phone on the floor and his face paper white. He looked stunned and like he could possibly cry. Then he picked up his phone and literally sprinted to his room. I quickly followed after telling everyone else to stay.

"What happened?" I asked. Fang was stuffing clothes into his backpack with a frenzied look in his eyes. He didn't stop to look at me when he answered.

"Max got the sonogram anyway. I'm going to have a daughter," then his dark eyes met mine, "And that daughter is kicking."

Fang hurriedly stuffed a few more things like his laptop in his bag and slung it over his shoulder, preparing to leap out the window. I put a hand on his arm, and he turned to me.

"Take care of my sister, okay?" I threw my arms around him and hugged him hard. He stiffened, then relaxed slightly and gave me an awkward one-armed hug back. "Tell her I miss her, and the best of luck to the baby." I handed him the bag of chocolate-chip cookies we had made at home for the Flock. "And give her these. You better not eat them all."

Fang's eyes softened, "Thank you Ella. For everything, especially keeping our secret." He turned to jump out the window, then turned back. "By the way, Iggy's in love with you. After everything you've done for us, the least I can do is speed you two along. If there's any two people more clueless than me and Max, it's you two." He smirked after finishing possibly the longest thing I'd ever heard him say.

Fang's silent wings beat as he returned to my older sister and I grinned in elation. Iggy liked me?

**Max POV:**

I winced as Margie put freezing blue crap on my stomach. I wished Fang was here. I missed him, and his absence had gotten stunned reactions from the nurses who remembered us from last time. Margie rubbed the scanner around as an image slowly formed on the screen.

This picture seemed more vivid than the first one. Margie looked at it thoughtfully for a long moment as tears rolled down my cheeks, corresponding to my thoughts of my boyfriend. I needed him here. I had tried calling him before coming here, but he hadn't answered. I wished he would.

"Congratulations!" Margie said, shaking off my thoughts, "You're going to have a baby girl. She looks perfectly healthy, so unless you go into early labor, we'll see you in the hospital in about three months. I do have a recommendation though," she said, "Since the baby has wings like you," she pointed out two arches extending from my daughter's back, "The childbirth will be different than normal. In a bird, the wings would be contained within an egg. In a human, they wouldn't be there.

"Since we don't know what giving birth to a winged child with nothing to keep those wings contained, I'm going to recommend that you get a cesarean section, or c-section for short."

I froze. Surgery? Like, in the hospital? Seeing my terror, Margie hurried reassure me. "Believe me, a c-section is a very low-risk surgery. Especially when your pregnancy could have so many unknown side effects due to the wings. You'll be fine!" I nodded.

"Can I have a minute alone?" I asked her.

"Of course. I'll go burn a disk of the ultrasound for you to take home."

I picked up my phone and dialed the number. "Fang? This is the last time I'll call, I swear. But…I got the sonogram. It's a girl. We're going to have a daughter. Not just me, not me and Dylan, me and _you_ Fang. Please come back. I can't do this on my own."

I put down the phone just as I felt a sharp jab in my stomach. I gasped and put my hand over the spot. I felt it again. A kick. Our baby was kicking for the first time, and Fang wasn't here to experience it because I drove him away.

I broke my promise and called one more time, leaving a very short message, "She's kicking, Fang."

I hung up and cried, ignoring Margie when she came back with the disk. I was in too much emotional pain to register anything that was happening around me.

* * *

***=I think that's what it's called. Where you have chicken and on the inside there's ham and cheese? It's amazing, whatever it's called.**

**Whew, I almost didn't get to update this weekend. I've been super busy all week. But now you must wait two weeks for Fax to reunite. Ha!**

**So...review? Please? I even gave you a nice long chappie!**


	12. Reunion

Chapter 11: Reunion

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual content. It's nothing worse than the prologue, but if you don't like that stuff, read with caution.**

**Disclaimer: I am not JP, I am a girl. This means I don't own Maximum Ride. I also don't own Pei-Wei or anything else that's copyrighted by someone that isn't me.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

Meredith couldn't leave the hospital until that afternoon, so I decided to walk to Pei-Wei for lunch. Talk about the best lettuce wraps in the world.

Fang never responded to my calls about the sonogram, so I just assumed he didn't care anymore. After five days, I was quickly losing hope. Why was I so stupid? I had a wonderful boyfriend who supported and cared for me and our baby, but I had chased him off because I couldn't control my temper. Not for the first time recently, I decided that I was a horrible person.

I decided to just eat at the restaurant. I needed alone time, and Tyler cried a _lot_. As I sipped my soda and nibbled listlessly at my chicken, I remembered when Fang brought me Chinese take-out food that first night in Vegas. The night I got pregnant. My thoughts were overwhelmed with memory….

* * *

I handed the cashier the nightgown I was buying. She grinned at me, "A special treat for that cute hunk you got?" she asked winking.

I blushed and said, "Yeah. Just…you know…yeah," I said nervously. The woman laughed and went to grab something from a shelf.

"Believe me sweetie, I won't be passing judgment. Your secret is safe with me. Am I correct in guessing your parents don't know about this little escapade?"

"Nope," I said as she handed me a…thong. I felt my face turn even redder.

"Put that on too. That hot boy-toy you got won't know what the Hell hit him," I paid and thanked her, still blushing.

When I got upstairs, I immediately went into the bathroom to try on my new pajamas. I would need time to get used to them, which I guess was kind of silly since I was just planning to take it off anyway. I pulled on the thin black dress and looked at myself in the mirror. I almost chickened out.

The dress was tiny, barely touching the tops of my thighs. The top was strapless and showed quite a bit of the cleavage I wasn't actually aware I had. I pulled on the top, but that made the bottom reveal too much, and vice-versa. This was dumb. I should just sleep in my normal clothes and try this another time. Fang could wait.

_You shouldn't be doing this with Fang at all._ Oh goody. The Voice was back.

"I don't care what you say," I muttered.

_Maximum! If you're sex-hungry, do it with Dylan. He is your soul-mate, your perfect other half. It will work better with him._

I felt my face heat up and I protested, _No! I don't just want sex, I want Fang. Why am I even having this conversation with you?_ Rather than continuing the Talk with the Voice, I walked out laid on our double bed. I flipped through the TV stations as I waited, finally stopping on some show where doctors have sex all the time.

A while later, Fang finally came in, "Baby, I've got dinner. It's Chinese," Then he looked at me and froze, his eyes raking my body and his mouth hanging open slightly. He was totally transfixed, and I remembered what the cashier lady said. She was right.

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked while trying not to laugh. Fang face turned red from his neck to his ears and he dropped his eyes to the floor. "It's okay. I thought you could use some eye candy." I laughed out loud. Fang looked so confused! I grabbed his arms and pulled him next to me on the bed.

I grabbed some sweet-and-sour chicken and said, "Yay, food. I'm sorry Fang, but I think that's really my true love. Food," I noticed Fang slide under the covers and pull them up to his stomach. I knew he was trying to hide what he had going on _down there_, if you know what I mean. Just to tease, I moaned happily and rested my head on his shoulder. I heard his heartbeat go funny.

"You're the best," I said, kissing his jaw. I thought he might have a heart attack.

"Tell me something I don't know," he said distractedly. I lightly punched his arm. "What are we watching?"

I shrugged and felt his eyes on my chest, "I'm not really sure. I think it might be _Grey's Anatomy_?"

He nodded and turned away from me. It took us about ten minutes to eat all of the food, then Fang went to change. I resisted the urge to peek at his crown jewels. As soon as he closed the door to the bathroom, I had to resist the urge to burst into hysterical giggles. This was so fun, but so weird. I again doubted if I was ready for this, and I again steeled myself. I wanted this.

When Fang got back, I had cleared off all of the trash from dinner and changed the channel to watch _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince._ Fang came out and got back under the covers. I told him about the movie we were watching, but he wasn't listening. I noticed his eyes firmly locked on my boobs. Feeling a flash of irritation, I grabbed his chin and jerked it up, "My eyes are up here Fang," I said with a glare.

"S-sorry," Fang stammered, blushing.

We both turned to watch the movie. I snuggled close and rested my hand on his mid-thigh. I slowly rubbed circles on his leg and heard his breathing speed up. I started feeling warm around the middle of the movie, so I kicked the covers down to my ankles. I was getting tired, so I yawned and gave a huge stretch.

I heard Fang groan and suddenly his lips were crushed against mine, his tongue stroking my mouth. I gasped and pulled back, surprised. Fang just moved his lips down to hungrily kiss my neck. I moaned and pushed on his chest, "Whoa, slow down," I wanted this, but I needed to take it slow.

Fang's eyes locked with mine, "I can't. I'll sleep on the couch, but I can't lay next to you wearing that and control myself," I vaguely wondered what would have happened if I had picked a more revealing outfit.

"Fang…I just don't know. Mom will kill us," That had just occurred to me. Mom would definitely _not_ be pleased about our current activities.

"She won't know," Fang murmured sexily. His hands were now under my dress and thoroughly feeling me up. "Please?" he whispered after gently biting my neck, "Please?" His tongue ran the length of my lower jaw. It felt _so good._

"Fine," I _had_ gotten myself into this. Now I had to follow through. Besides, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? (Of course, I didn't find out until later that that isn't necessarily true.)

Fang grinned and pulled my dress off before I pulled his lips back to mine. I yanked off his shirt and rolled on top of him, my hands running over his amazing abs. "I love you," he moaned as our underwear came off. I decided I would just show him instead of saying it back.

* * *

I finished eating, now in an even worse mood than before. I walked back to the hospital to meet Meredith, who boycotted the wheelchair and carried the (thankfully) sleeping Tyler to the train station.

About halfway back, Meredith's newborn woke up. He started cooing and reaching out with his itty-bitty fingers. He wasn't able to actually grab anything yet, but that didn't stop Meredith and me from playing with his tiny hands. You had to admit, Tyler was pretty cute. I again wished Fang was here.

Meredith saw my mopey look. "Girl, get _over_ him! If Fang won't accept your most heartfelt apology, he isn't worth it. Look at me! My boyfriend ditched me immediately and I'm just fine."

I just shrugged and turned away. I didn't want to get over him. I wanted him back. We were silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

"Promise you won't get all depressed on me?" Meredith asked as we turned to walk into our separate apartments. We had walked around town and let Tyler get a look at his home before heading back home. It was now about five thirty.

"I won't," I said, even though I wasn't one-hundred percent sure I could promise that. Meredith crooned baby talk to Tyler as she went through her door. I put my hand on my stomach and whispered, "What do you think baby? Don't you want a daddy?" I felt a slight tap against my hand. "I'll take that as a yes," Now if only I could do something about it.

I opened the door and was greeted with…the smell of lasagna. WTH? I walked into the kitchen and froze. He turned to look at me. "Max! There you are," I couldn't speak. My tongue had turned to lead and my throat had closed up. "Look, I know you're mad, but…," he didn't get any further, because I threw myself on him.

My lips mashed against his and my fingers twisted into his hair. He laughed and pulled back, "Whoa, baby. I missed you too," His black eyes were sparkling.

"Shut up!" I yelled. Fang looked at me in surprise, "You have _no idea_! I didn't know where you were and Meredith said you wouldn't come back so I panicked and thought that I would have to raise the kid on my own and you wouldn't answer my calls so-" I was cut off by his lips on mine.

"You sound like Nudge," he murmured when we pulled apart. I blushed and felt my eyes fill with tears. "Oh, come here," Fang pulled me into a warm hug, his muscular arms making feel safe and at home.

I sobbed softly into his shoulder, "I missed you so much. You have no freaking idea."

"I know. So, I made lasagna for dinner. I don't think it'll be as good as Iggy's, but still. It still needs about half an hour to cook though," I grinned.

"Well, since we have all that extra time…," I took a step closer and undid his top button on his shirt, "You know, since you've been gone, we haven't even kissed once in five whole days. And its been weeks since our last real make-out session, so I was thinking-," I didn't get any farther. Fang picked me up and kissed me hungrily, his eyes glowing with excitement. Then he carried me into our room.

We collapsed onto our bed the wrong way with our feet on the pillows, but neither of us cared. My hands found his hair again, but Fang pulled back and kissed down to my swelling stomach, his hands sliding our shoes off as he did so. Then he moved back to my mouth, using his tongue to pry my lips apart.

I moaned softly and unbuttoned the rest his shirt, sliding it off his tan, muscular shoulders. My hands thoroughly enjoyed playing on his eight-pack. How did he get an eight-pack? We hadn't done any physical fighting lately. Maybe it was genetic. If so, I actually have something to thank the whitecoats for.

Suddenly Fang yanked my tank top off over my head. Then his hands found the hem of my sweatpants and dragged them down too. I stiffened. "Fang, baby, no. I don't want to go that far right now."

"Why not? I missed you," he groaned, kissing my neck. Now, I'm not going to lie. I _wanted_ to. Being pregnant makes your hormones crazier than normal, so I was really turned on right now, but we didn't need twins. "Come on, I'll make it quick. We'll be done before the lasagna is ready."

I pushed him back. He gave me a confused look. "We don't need anymore kids. I'm not having sex with you tonight," Fang pouted, and I bit his protruding lower lip. "I didn't say I don't want to get intimate and maybe a little dirty, but our underwear stays on. Got it?"

Fang raised one eyebrow, "Our underwear?" As a response, I undid his belt buckle and slid his jeans off. Our lips reconnected and our tongues fought for entrance into each other's mouths. I'll spare you further details, but there was quite a bit of inappropriate touching and lip-biting going on. It was great.

* * *

"So that's what's up with the Flock," Fang finished. We were curled up in bed (clothed) after eating. We had ended up making out so long that Fang went to take dinner out of the oven, then we forgot about it and it got cold. If my stomach hadn't rumbled embarrassingly while Fang was licking my chest, we probably never would have stopped to eat. Of course, as soon as Fang told me he had brought me back some of Mom's chocolate-chip cookies, I practically started taking his clothes off again anyway.

Now we were laying chastely in bed together and had just finished sharing what we had done during our separation. I wasn't actually too surprised that Fang had stayed with the Flock. That's where I would have gone. "I'm just glad you came back so we could get in one really good make-out session before my stomach gets to be the size of a beach ball."

"And you'll still be beautiful when it is," Fang assured me.

"You're so sweet," I pecked his cheek. He pressed his face into my neck. "I'm so sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. Dylan could never have replaced you."

Fang looked at me, "I'm sorry too. I'll try to be better-"

"No! I forbid you to apologize. You're the perfect boyfriend. I love you."

I said it so matter-of-fact, he almost laughed. Then Fang's eyes darkened, "Well, I'm extremely sorry I hit you. That's been haunting me."

I changed the subject, "So, Meredith's doing great."

"You'll have to take me over to meet Tyler tomorrow," Fang suggested. I agreed, then felt a sharp jab in my abdomen. I gasped. "What?" asked Fang, concerned.

I grabbed his hand and put it over the area where I felt it. A few seconds later, the baby kicked again. A huge, wondrous grin spread across my boyfriend's face as he felt our daughter move. "Wow," he whispered.

"I know."

Fang moved his hand and turned to look at me, "So what do you want to call her?"

I froze. I hadn't actually thought too excessively about baby names, what with everything that had been going on. "Uh, I don't know. Max junior?" Fang gave me an exasperated look.

"Come on sweetie, I'm serious. We don't want to be like those parents on that commercial where the son is about to graduate and they still haven't named him."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay. I don't know…Alicia? Marie? No…," Those didn't seem right.

"Sydney?" Fang suggested. I shook my head. "Natalie? Taylor?"

"Nope," Nothing just seemed _right_. I knew the right name would just be an _oh, that's perfect_ epiphany kind of thing.

A few names later, Fang provided that moment. "Alexis?" She kicked.

I looked at him. "I think she likes it," I looked at my slightly protruding stomach. "What do you think baby? Do you like Alexis?" She kicked under my hand again. "Alexis it is."

Fang grinned. "We can call her Lexi for short," I noticed a glowing excitement in his eyes that I had never seen before. I realized that Fang really did want this kid. He noticed my stare, "What?"

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Fang nodded, turning pink.

"Yeah. Before you got the ultrasound, I was really, really hoping it would be a girl. I don't know why. Just…the idea of a daughter was so appealing to me. I guess I got my wish," he kissed my stomach.

"You're going to be a great dad," I told him.

"You think so?"

"I know so," I kissed him softly, but he tried to make it something more, his fingers sliding under my shirt.

I made a noise like a buzzer and pushed him off. "No more for you tonight. You've had enough."

He smirked, "It won't be enough until I'm back inside these faded sweatpants," he whispered.

I rolled my eyes, "Good night Fang," I turned off the lamp and Fang chuckled quietly, pulling me closer to him. I snuggled against his chest, feeling whole again at last.

* * *

**Yay! They're back together. And I wrote a long, Faxy chapter just to celebrate.**

**I almost didn't think I would finish that. I had this huge English paper to write plus tons of History homework and a band competition. Then our band took a field trip to the water park this morning. Yay! It was really fun. I had Dippin' Dots. :D**

**Sorry to all of the people who wanted to suggest baby names, but I had already picked out their daughter's name before I even started writing the story. Maybe if they have more kids later...**

**So? I gave you a long chapter full of Faxness and got our favorite couple back together. I think that deserves some reviews, don't you?**


	13. First Day of School

Chapter 12: First Day of School

**Max POV:**

Someone was shaking my shoulder. "Max…" I moaned and rolled over, hiding my face beneath a pillow. "Max, baby, come on. We have to get ready for school."

"No."

I heard an impatient sigh before the covers were yanked away from me so hard I fell onto the floor. "Hey! Lexi and I did not appreciate that!"

Fang just looked at me and my now huge-mongous tummy laying sprawled on the carpet. "Well, you and Lexi need to get your ass off the floor and get dressed. School starts in an hour."

I moaned again. "Do we have to go?" I complained. Fang glared at me, and I noticed that he was already dressed.

"I got up twenty minutes ago," He pointed out, "And if this is going to be a problem then tomorrow I'll wake you up at six instead of seven by dragging you into a cold shower by the ankle." I rolled my eyes. Fang could be so overdramatic. I got up and started getting my normal clothes on as Fang went to make breakfast.

I was now five and a half months pregnant and very close to bursting. Meredith had taken me maternity shopping a month ago because none of my clothes fit anymore. In human terms, I was about seven months preggers. Alexis was kicking like crazy. She must have inherited her parents' super-strength, because some of those kicks hurt like Hell.

I pulled on a green tank top and Capri pants, followed by a black, sparkly pair of Toms and my hair pulled into a ponytail. Easy-peasy. Why had Fang been so worried? I realized that he, like me, must be super-nervous about going to school again. We had gone once and Fang and I had both dated different people during that time, so we didn't really like to talk about it.

I was slightly nervous about what people would say about my…situation. I was way too big to hide my pregnancy now, so I guess I would just have to tough it out. But what if people were asses? What if they talked or shunned us…I mentally smacked myself. I was Maximum Ride, the invincible, and I didn't care what other people thought. So why did I feel so nervous?

Fang made me eggs and bacon with toast and apple juice. Sound too normal? I ended up putting ketchup on my toast. My morning sickness had subsided to nausea maybe once a week rather than projectile vomiting every day. It was a nice change, but I couldn't wait until Lexi was out. I could tell Fang felt the same, because he had faint circles under his eyes and always looked tired. I felt bad for working him so hard, but there was nothing I could do.

I still worked Monday through Thursday and Saturday at the ice cream shop with Kima and Fang worked Monday through Friday at the bookstore. With all the food we had to buy and all of the money we had spent on clothes for me recently, it was barely enough. I vaguely wondered how on Earth Meredith was managing, even if her condo was smaller.

Fang handed me my forest green backpack after we ate and put his arm around my shoulders. Together, we walked to our first day of sophomore year.

* * *

"Here you go!" The cheerful woman handing out schedules to sophomores with last names H-N said as I took the sheet of paper from her hands. I ignored her gaze on my stomach as I walked over to find Fang and compare schedules. Mrs. Sonya had said that she had tried to get Fang and I as close to the same schedule as she could, but nothing was guaranteed. I could feel the eyes of the other sophomores on my baby-bump as I wove through the crowd to the O-T table. Fang was just walking away with his schedule. I noticed several girls staring at him and I resisted the urge to smack them.

"Let's compare," Fang managed to communicate over the cacophony of voices in the high school gym. I put my schedule next to his. The school was block schedule, so on A days I had Geometry, English, Spanish I, and Theater. On B days I had Geography, Study Hall, Chemistry, and Health. Fang had the same schedule except he had Chemistry when I had Spanish and vice versa.

"That's bearable," I yelled to be heard. Fang nodded and kissed my lips.

"Ooh, careful. Sex isn't allowed during school hours," a snarky voice said. I turned to see a blonde, cheerleader type girl flanked by a ginger and a brunette leering at me.

I just took a deep, calming breath and said, "Oh, sorry. I'm new, but you must have broken that rule enough times to know it by heart," I gave her a poisonous grin. The bell rang before she could reply and I called over my shoulder, "I'd say it was nice to meet you, but it wasn't."

"Nice job," Fang praised. I smiled and we headed to math. Mrs. Sonya had somehow brought us up to speed in our classes over the summer. We weren't at the AP standard though, obviously, so we were just in regular. Maybe some of it will leak through my stomach and Alexis will end up being really smart. Is that possible?

Our first two periods went pretty much the same. We had actually gotten Mrs. Sonya for our math teacher, so that was one teacher I didn't have to worry was going to be judgmental. Both Mrs. Sonya and Mrs. Reynolds, our English teacher, spent most of class talking about supplies and expectations for the year and stuff. I didn't pay much attention because I was acutely aware of everyone turning to stare at me and whisper to their friends or pass notes. After about half an hour in English I finally raised my hand and asked to leave to go to the bathroom. Mrs. Reynolds agreed after Fang promised to fill me in on what I missed.

I spent a good five minutes hiding in the hallway and taking deep breaths. Since when did I care what people thought of me? But, for some, reason, I hated the feeling of people staring at me and talking about my…differences. Maybe it was because having wings was totally kick-ass and pregnancy made me seem…vulnerable. I shouldn't be vulnerable!

My conversation with myself made some vague part of me realize that I hadn't heard from the Voice in awhile, but the rest of me pushed that part away. I didn't care, because the Voice was just annoying.

I took one last breath and walked back into the classroom. People turned to stare at me, but I ignored them and walked back to my seat next to Fang. He put his arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "You okay?" he whispered so softly only my super bird-kid ears could hear.

I nodded but didn't respond. The rest of the day passed just like that. We had lunch halfway through third period, so still got to see Fang during that time, because we had the same lunch. I arrived before Fang and got my food, but that was the easy part. Everywhere I looked I was met with eyes that warned me, the pregnant new freak, to stay away. I felt my nausea returning. Finally, a couple of girls from my Spanish class waved me and my mountain of pizza over to their table.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?" One girl with curly brown hair and bright green eyes asked. I nodded, still looking for Fang.

"My name is Max. Short for Maxine, but don't you dare call me Maxine, or I'll snap your neck."

"Oh, feisty! I like it." A skinny brown-haired boy sitting opposite me with his arms around the shoulders of a girl with a black pixie cut and a green streak in her bangs. She smacked his shoulder and he laughed.

I looked around again just as Fang walked in talking to a tall kid with messy blonde hair and a total football player vibe. He said something and Fang laughed, clearly fitting in already. I think every girl in the cafeteria melted as they walked by. I was about to turn away and not bother Fang when his onyx eyes met mine. They lit up and he turned to his friend and gave a clear "catch you later" gesture with his hand.

"Hey beautiful," Fang said as he slid into the chair next to mine and put his arm around me. "Good, you got pizza." He reached out take a slice and I smacked his hand away.

"Get your own!"

"That's all for you?" The green-haired girl asked. By now another girl with long, wavy black hair and brown eyes had joined our table. I shrugged.

"Yeah. I ate a lot anyway and now I'm feeding two people, so I need every bite." Fang rolled his eyes and got up to get some himself.

The first girl with curly hair watched him walk off with an interested look. "Me-_ow_. I wouldn't mind getting knocked up by him," She turned to me. "He is the dad, right? And I'm Didi, by the way. It's short for Diadre. Isn't that the worst name ever?" I grinned, thinking of Nudge's name obssession.

"Yeah, Fang is the dad. I wouldn't have it any other way." I said, taking a huge bite of pepperoni joy and wishing I had mustard.

The boy with brown hair smiled at me, "Hey, I'm Chris. And this ball of sunshine," He poked the short haired girl, who punched his side, "Is Sydney. We're a couple, in case you didn't notice." I smiled.

"And this my baby sister Maddy," Sydney motioned to the quiet girl with the long hair, who nodded shyly and hid behind her wavy locks. Fang returned with his food and they reintroduced themselves. Fang just nodded in greeting. We sat awkwardly for a minute listening to Didi talk before we joined in slowly, then more comfortably. After a little while we felt like old friends. At one point I laughed so hard I accidentally spilled my soda on my lap.

"Here, I'll get you a napkin," Fang said getting up with his empty tray. I pulled him back down.

"I'm not immovable yet," I said icily, heading towards the front of the cafeteria. I grabbed my napkins and turned around and accidentally slammed into someone. Before I could apologize, she shrieked.

"You stupid bitch! Look what you did to my shirt! It was brand new too." I had run into the redhead that had been with the blonde slut earlier. She was toothpick skinny, but I had gotten salad dressing from her lunch down her not-as-sexy-as-she-wished top. Oops.

I couldn't stop my anger from flaring up, "It doesn't matter. That shirt is so ugly I feel I did you a favor. I mean, whoever bought it for you didn't obviously realize that you have the chest of a twelve-year-old."

The whole cafeteria had gotten quiet to listen when she shrieked, and now they gave a collective "Ooooooooh!"

For a moment the ginger was quiet, then she said, "You know what? I have better things to do than argue with a bitch who's stomach is bigger than Manhattan."

"Oh, just because my sex life is more active than yours doesn't mean I couldn't kick your ass. My boyfriend and I forgot protection, but I guess you've never had to use it because I don't know any guys who get turned on by popsicle sticks."

Her face turned red enough to match her hair. "You'll regret that Maxine!" She spat, heading to the bathroom to clean up.

The kids at lunch started whispering to each other and a couple gave approving cheers. I grabbed my napkins and headed back to my table. By the time I got there, the cafeteria had regained its normal decibel level.

"Nice job!" Didi said, looking at me with a mixture of horror and awe. "That's one of Elise's slaves, Bryn. She's the second-in-command. The brunette that's usually with them is Nisa, and they terrorize us normal folk on a regular basis."

I just shrugged. "They're just annoying, as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't know, that Bryn chick was pretty cute," Fang said. I nearly choked on my pizza, and he actually burst out laughing.

I turned to him, about to yell, when he held up his hands and said, "Whoa, baby. I'm joking. I know it bothers you." I shot him a dirty look and finished my last crust of pizza.

"I don't get it." Sydney said.

"Max apparently labors under the delusion that I only like redheads."

"It's true!" I protested.

"Are you a ginger? No. And guess who's having my baby," Fang started kissing my neck; after a moment I started giggling.

"Fang, stop it!" Then the bell rang and Didi, Sydney and I headed back to Spanish.

Didi watched Fang walk off with his jock buddy from earlier and said, "You are the luckiest girl alive!"

"I know," I sighed.

* * *

**Meh. I know that was horrible, but these next few chapters will be mostly filler until the story gets to the net major part I'm planning, which may or may not involve Fax reuniting with the Flock. ;) Stay tuned!**

**Okay, so I have to get rid of my schedule of updating every weekend. I'm super busy with end-of-the-year projects and tests and I just don't have time to type. I'm sorry! I'll try to update more often during the summer, but for the next few weeks just keep your eyes open. And if you send me numerous reviews "reminding" me to update, I'll update even slower. I love you guys!**


	14. C Section

Chapter 13: C-Section

**Disclaimer: I own the plot and my characters, but that's pretty much it.**

* * *

**Fang POV:**

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair as Max started to chicken out yet again.

"I don't know Fang! I've heard stories of people who have allergic reactions to the anesthesia and never wake up, or I could be like that lady who got an infection and had to cut all of her limbs off! Maybe-"

"Max!" I finally yelled. Her mouth snapped shut. Alexis was now full grown and it was for us to go to the hospital to get her out, but Max was scared to death. We were supposed to leave half an hour ago so we could make our appointment for the c-section, but every time we got two feet from the door Max had a panic attack.

I grabbed her shoulders and gently turned her to face me. The last thing we needed was for her to actually go into labor before we got to the hospital. "Baby, listen. I _know_ you don't like hospitals, and I know the thought of any kind of surgery scares you, but this is safer. The wings could lead to complications if you have a normal childbirth.

"I understand that you're worried, but I'm about to flip you onto my shoulder and drag you to the train station. The baby has to be born, one way or another, and I'm trying to do what's best for you!" I stated, trying not to sound too irritated. Being all hormonal and all, Max promptly burst into tears and made me feel bad. Of course.

Her arms circled my waist and I buried my face in her hair. We embraced as best we could with Max's bump between us, then Max composed herself and we finally headed to the train station.

"I love you, you know that?" Max murmured, resting her head on my shoulder as the train clattered through the mountains. One last stop at _Babies for Beginners_ a week ago had told us that both Max and Lexi were perfectly healthy so the pregnancy was very low risk.

"Yeah, I had kind of guessed that from the way you were having my baby and all."

She smacked my shoulder. "If there's one thing you can do really well, it's ruin the moment!"

I chuckled and lightly poked my finger under the waistband of her sweatpants. "Oh, you of all people know that's not the only thing I do really well."

"Fang!" Max hissed, smacking my hand. I smirked. "You better not talk like that when Lexi is around, or I'll make you sleep on the couch!" I mimed locking my lips and throwing away the key. "Besides, girls have babies all the time with guys they don't love. Sometimes condoms split or they just don't use them altogether," Max continued as the train pulled into the station.

"True."

We got off the train and stepped out of the station into the fresh October air. Halloween was two days away, and the streets were cluttered with stores selling cheap decorations and candy. I guess it would be too early for Alexis trick-or-treat.

"You ready for this?" I asked.

"Not in the slightest," Max said with a deep breath. "Let's go have a baby."

Meredith had thrown us a huge baby shower two weeks ago, much to Max's horror. She had invited both her friend's and Max's, and they all brought presents and played with Tyler and ate candy. I think Max enjoyed it a lot more than she would ever dare to admit, but I wouldn't know because I snuck out to our high school's football game with Brian. **(AN: That's his friend from the lunch scene.)** He actually played, of course, while I just watched and cheered with a couple of other guys. We won. It was a nice night for everyone.

Meredith had promised to come visit Max in the hospital as soon as she got away from work at one of the local restaurants. It was one of the very few hot spots in our little town, so the pay was good but the hours were long. She had also promised to bring Tyler to meet his new playmate. Didi, Sydney, and Chris wanted to come too, but we convinced them to wait until Max and I brought Lexi home.

The principal had agreed to let Max participate in an online trial class experiment the district was doing. She would take the same classes as the kids in actual school, but the teachers would upload the videos of the day's lesson online along with any worksheets or tests, and Max could do them at home. It was for kids who were sick or missed or just didn't work well with people around.

The experiment would last for the remainder of the year and they would analyze the results over the summer to see if they should continue. We planned to wean Alexis pretty quick, so hopefully next year Max could just attend regular school. I would just be in normal school because I didn't have to feed the baby milk from my body.

I had also promised Max that I would take Lexi off her hands as soon as I walked in the door every day unless I had work. She was also on "maternity leave", meaning she basically quit her job until further notice since she just worked at the ice cream store.

"Hi, we're here for surgery?" Max said to the receptionist. After we told her our name, a doctor came and led us to the maternity ward. We had to walk past the mental ward, and as we did, a horrid screech echoed down the hall. Max and I both cringed at the sound. A couple of doctors ran to a room and our female doctor ushered us quickly past.

"I am so very sorry," she said. "We tend to only keep low maintenance patients here, so that one is being moved to an advanced mental hospital tomorrow."

"What happened?" Max asked.

The doctor bit her lip. "I'm not at liberty to say. I should have taken the other way. I wasn't even thinking." She led us into Max's room. "The surgeon will be here in just a few minutes." She left.

I wrapped my arm around Max's shoulders and kissed her hair. "It must be so terrible, having something happen to you that was so bad you truly lost your mind," Max mused. "I mean, think of all the things we've been through, and we're still sane."

"Mostly," I said, smiling. But I agreed with her.

"Mostly," She agreed. "I'm going to sincerely hope nothing like that ever happens to us."

Before I could reply, the door opened and a surgeon came in. "Hello, I'm Dr. Roberts," he said, reaching out to shake our hands. "I'm going to walk you through the procedure. We will completely numb the area just below your chest to the top of your thighs, Miss Martinez."

"Just Max is fine." Max said.

"Max then. Sorry. Anyway, we'll simply make an incision just below your stomach and take the little child out. You'll have a sheet blocking your view so you don't get sick, and we'll clean the baby up and give it right to you. Your boyfriend will need to wait outside though.

"One more thing. I've known Margie for a long time and she called to tell me about your little…complication," I liked the way he worded it. It almost sounded normal.

"Rest assured that no record will be kept of the wings and the three doctors operating are all sworn to secrecy. You're safe here."

"Thank you so much!" Max said. Dr. Roberts said he would be back in five minutes when the OR was ready.

"Now do you feel ready?" I asked.

She shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Well, I do feel a little better. Can I have a kiss for luck?"

"Isn't the girl supposed to give that?"

"Just kiss me, stupid."

I grinned and kissed her warmly on the mouth. Max's bump kept us from a full-on make-out session, but it definitely got a little heated. Someone cleared their throat and we sprang apart.

"We need to take Max and monitor her temperature and heart rate and such for a few minutes. First I need you to fill out some paperwork." Dr. Roberts said. We signed the consent forms and I went to sit in the waiting room while Max went with the surgeons. She looked back and I mouthed good luck.

I played games on my iTouch until Meredith breathlessly sat down next to me, trying to soothe a sobbing Tyler. Dr. Roberts said the procedure would probably take a little over an hour to be completely finished, so I was just chillin'.

When Tyler finally settled down, Meredith turned to me. "Hey Fang. How's it going?"

"She should be about halfway done. They have to sew her up and stuff. You know, provided she didn't have a panic attack."

Meredith nodded. Tyler gave an adorable yawn and shifted slightly, closing his now-brown eyes. Apparently babies were born with blue eyes, but they usually changed after a few weeks.

We sat quietly for another half hour, me playing _Angry Birds_ and Meredith reading some old parenting magazines.

"Mr. Ride?" A doctor said. I looked up and put my game away. "Your girlfriend is done."

Meredith gave me a thumbs up as best she could while holding her own baby and I walked back to Max's room. She was in the same room we had waited in earlier, holding a bundle of blankets in her arms. She looked up and grinned as I came in.

"It went perfect. Come meet your daughter."

"Our daughter," I corrected, sitting next to her on the bed. I looked into the blankets and saw our little Alexis with her eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. "Wow."

"That's what I said." Max and I looked at each other and I pecked her lips. Tears welled up in her eyes and one dripped down her cheek.

I wiped it away. "Now don't you cry or I'm gonna cry and we all know what a mess that would be!" I said. Max laughed.

"Sorry, I guess the pregnancy hormones haven't worn off yet." I just kissed her again.

"I know how you feel."

One of Max's doctors came in with Meredith and a few papers. Meredith walked over and held a sleeping Tyler out to the sleeping Lexi. "Meet your new playmate Ty. You two will be best friends. I know it." Meredith said. Lexi stirred and opened her bright blue eyes. She didn't cry though, thankfully, just looked around a bit and fell asleep again. I smiled.

"What name needs to be put on the birth certificate?" The doctor asked, pen ready.

"Alexis Valerie Ride." Max said without hesitation.

I looked at her. "Valerie?"

"Yeah. Like my mom's name, but different."

"I like it. You sure you want Ride?"

"It'll be less paperwork for when we get married."

I chuckled. "Thinking ahead quite a bit, aren't you?"

Max blushed. "Well, of course I want to get married at some point. Just not yet. We _are_ only in high school." I nodded in understanding. The doctor took the documents and left to file them, leaving the birth certificate for us.

Meredith was standing awkwardly off to the side, looking upset. "Well, I guess I'll see you two back home tomorrow. Bye." She left.

"What's with her?" I asked, though I kind of knew.

"Oh, now I feel bad. I forgot she's a single mom. We shouldn't have acted so happy-couple like that." Max said, frowning.

"But we are a happy couple. And now we're a happy family," I kissed her neck. "And I'm proud of that. We're just as lucky as everyone says."

We kissed again and looked down at Alexis Valerie Ride, our little baby. I had never felt happier in my entire life. Not when Max kissed me on the beach for the first time, not when she admitted she loved me back, not when we had sex. I knew from the look on Max's face that she felt the exact same way.

* * *

**Aww...**

**Sorry it took so long to update, but I had end-of-the-year projects and then I had band camp or i was asleep because band camp wore me out, and then I had to update my _other_ story, so...yeah. The next update should be sooner though.**

**I had a funny (in my opinion) typo there at the end. I instead of writing "she loved _me_ back", I wrote "she loved _my _back", so it said "not when she admitted she loved my back", and I was like FAIL! XD**

**Somewhere in there I put a major hint about something that will happen later in the story. Can you find it? Try and guess what it is.**


	15. Baby Antics

Chapter 14: Baby Antics

**Alright, regarding the hint in the previous chapter…only one person got it! Said person got it exactly, too. Several people were close, but only one person got it exactly right. Which, honestly, is one more person than I thought would get it. I won't tell you who because that would spoil it, but I'll recognize them later when said thing happens. **

**I will tell you that Max and Fang getting married was **_**not**_** it. That was just a given. And no more guesses either! I don't want any more reviews or PMs with guesses about what happens.**

**Okay, this is basically a bunch of mini-chapters mashed into one big chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim what I must.**

* * *

_*Birthdays*_

**Fang POV:**

I smiled at Max as I opened the door to our apartment and she carried the newest Ride inside. **(AN: That rhymed.)** She walked to our room and set Lexi into the white crib I had bought and assembled a few days ago. It was simple with wooden bars and a hole shaped like a heart with wings on the sides. Alexis squirmed a bit as her mother set her down. I let out a silent sigh of relief as she settled back to sleep.

"So how are you feeling?" I asked Max as we sat down on the couch to relax after a very stressful six and a half months.

"Much, much lighter. I am going to make myself clear. We are not doing that again any time soon, if ever."

I chuckled and pulled her close to me with my arm. My super-vision fell on the calendar hanging on our fridge, or more correctly, an important date that had occurred almost two weeks ago. I grinned. "So how come you didn't get me a present?"

"Huh?" Max looked at me like I had gone insane.

I turned to her, still grinning. "My sixteenth birthday was on October seventeenth. It's now the thirtieth. So where's my gift?" That wasn't why I was grinning though.

"I just gave birth to your freaking kid! I'm not buying you a birthday present, even if it was your sweet sixteen…," I saw her eyes widen and she turned to me. I knew the full implications of my statement had sunk in. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Yep," I said smugly.

"NO! I am the oldest! You can't change that!" Max looked horrified.

I could feel my grin stretching from ear to ear. "Too late. We already told everyone that we were fifteen and when our birthdays are, so _I_ am now the oldest."

Max stamped her foot. She was positively seething now. I hadn't realized how much being the oldest meant to her, but it _did_ mean she was in charge. "Fang, after all this time, annoying me is still the only thing you're good at. And if you make a sex innuendo, I'll break your jaw!" A wail pierced her rant. "Oh, and now the kid is up…"

Max ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath as I went to get Lexi. I picked her up and murmured, "Did Mommy wake you up? Yeah, she's prone to overreaction. Get used to it."

"I can hear you!" I jumped and laughed. She was right. Annoying her was definitely what I did best.

* * *

_*Breast Feeding*_

**Max POV:**

Lexi had now been home for three days, and it was obvious that Fang and I would not be getting any real sleep anytime soon. Fang was going to be home in about fifteen minutes from work and Lexi was asleep.

I turned on the TV and watched about ten minutes of my show before my daughter started to scream. I sighed. Well, there goes that.

I picked up Alexis, who was swaddled in her pink and blue blanket sobbing for no apparent reason. I knew she must have been hungry. I sighed and took her to the couch just as Fang was coming in the door. He smiled at me and went to use the restroom and change out of the khaki pants and deep green polo combo that was his uniform.

I unbuttoned the first four buttons on my shirt for Lexi. Meredith had made sure that I bought plenty of button down shirts after she started feeding Tyler. She noticed that it was much easier that way, because then you didn't have to take your whole shirt off. Fang said he didn't like her plan. I smacked him.

I slid down my strapless bra so Lexi could feed. The feeling when you're breast feeding is kind of hard to describe, like describing how sex feels. I don't mean it felt like sex, of course. I mean it kind of felt weird, but it also felt right. It also kind of tickled since Lexi didn't have teeth yet. Fang came over and sat next to me on the couch.

"How was work?" I asked. Fang shrugged to say it was the same as always before leaning in to kiss me. I smiled and kissed back, loving the feeling of his warm lips pushing on mine, then the feeling of his tongue on my lips. Mmm….

Lexi wailed and we jumped apart, startled. I realized that she had slipped from feeding and we had kind of been squishing her. I blushed and adjusted my baby.

Fang, of course, just kept kissing me, simply moving down to my neck. I giggled a little but didn't stop him until he murmured, "What I would give to be in Lexi's position right now…."

I gasped and pulled away. He just laughed. What was I going to do with him?

* * *

_*Best Friends*_

**Max POV:**

I heard a knock on our door the Saturday after Lexi was taken home from the hospital. I sighed and went to answer it, cradling Lexi gently. It was, as I expected, Chris, whose arm was around Sydney, who was standing by Didi. Meredith was also standing there with an almost three-month-old Tyler squirming aimlessly in her arms.

"Hey guys," I said with a tired smile. "What goes on? Come on in."

They stepped in and Didi spun around. "Wow. How do you afford this place?"

"Nice complex owner," Meredith and I said at the same time. "Come sit. I was catching up on my shows," I said, sitting on the couch gently so Lexi wouldn't wake up.

"We match now," Meredith said, pointing to the bags under her eyes. I grinned.

"Yeah, this girl's got quite a pair of lungs on her." Meredith nodded sympathetically.

"So where's the BF?" Didi asked.

"Wait, you mean it's actually possible for you guys to be in two separate places without spontaneously combusting?" Chris said. Sydney gave a dramatic gasp for effect.

I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, Fang stumbled out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. "I heard voices."

Sydney grinned. "Way to be on top of things. It's good to see you too, sleepyhead."

"You look cute with bed head," I said with a flirtatious smile. Fang gave me a sheepish smile and came to sit next to me.

"Glad to see you're being so productive," Meredith said dryly. "If Tyler's dad was around, I'd be working him endlessly night and day."

I shrugged, "I was going to wake him up, but he's so cute when he's sleeping." I smiled and kissed his nose. "He does work and go to school and take care of Lexi as much as he can when he's home. We don't ever get any sleep at night, so we take turns with naps when we can," He kissed my hair and greeted our friends.

"Ugh! I really need a boyfriend. I'm the only one of my friends that doesn't have one!" Didi wailed.

"I don't have one," Meredith said.

"Yeah, but I don't really know you. You seem nice though. I'm Didi," I blushed as I realized I hadn't introduced them.

"I'm Meredith," Tyler, who had been squirming happily in his mother's arms, suddenly looked over at us and gave a loud squeal. Alexis stirred and blinked her browning eyes open. Then she actually turned, looked at Tyler, and squeaked back. Tyler smiled.

I looked at Meredith and we all started laughing. I felt a sudden ache for the friendship and family of the Flock, but I guess these guys weren't so bad either.

* * *

_*Abstinence*_

**Max POV:**

Fang came and sat down next to me on the bed. Lexi was asleep for now, but I knew that wouldn't last very long at all. Fang smiled at me and leaned in for a kiss. I obliged happily.

It got hot fast. Fang pushed me back onto the pillows and pushed his hands under my T-shirt. I slid his shirt off and stroked my tongue along his mouth. He whimpered and flipped me over so he was supported purely by his upper arm strength over me. Pushed his hips against mine and I moaned loudly.

Our make-out session was punctuated by a wail from the crib near the foot of our bed. I started to get up to get her, but Fang pushed me back down. "She's fine," he breathed, kissing me hungrily again. He started yanking my shorts off, reveling like I was in the fact that our bodies fit together again without my beach ball-sized belly in the way.

I pushed him off with a glare and pulled my shorts up. I slid my oversized pajama T-shirt on over my head and picked up our wailing daughter. I stepped out into the living room, trying to soothe her as Fang pouted on the bed.

I rocked Lexi back and forth to calm her down. Fang was right. There wasn't really anything wrong with her, she just wanted some attention. I really just picked her up so I could contemplate how to tell Fang an idea that had sprouted in my mind recently. I decided to just be straightforward.

Alexis stopped sobbing and I took her back to her crib. She clutched her blanket and fell asleep. I laid back down next to Fang. "Now, about what we were doing earlier…," Fang murmured.

I pushed him off and he gave me a confused look. I took a deep breath "Fang…I-I don't think we should have sex again."

"What!" Fang pulled back in shock.

"Just not right now. I don't think that's a good environment for the baby and I think it's better for us. Please try to respect me on this, because it's non-negotiable," I said it plain and to the point, not wanting to beat around the bush. I looked at Fang, who was staring at me like he had never seen me before.

He took a deep breath through his nose. "How long would said sex break last?"

"I was thinking until we're married. And no, I will not accept if you propose right now."

I thought Fang was going to pass out. "But…"

"No objections! I want to finish high school and hopefully college before we get married. But I promise as soon as we get into the hotel for our honeymoon, you can tie me to the bed and do whatever you want to me," I hoped he knew I didn't mean that literally.

Fang stared at the ground for a long moment before sighing. "I guess you're right."

"I generally am."

He grinned. "Even if I _am_ older than you."

I gasped and smacked him. That was definitely a sore spot, because the one infallible thing I had always had over Fang was our ages. Now that was gone, but I did have sex to hold over his head now. "Yep, no fun for you. Goodnight."

I turned off the light and we were just drifting off to sleep when a screech tore us back. Fang swore loudly and I rolled over to grin at him.

"Your turn."

* * *

_*Grandpa*_

**Fang POV:**

Lexi was now almost a year old and already walking. She also slept through the night most of the time, so we had moved her into one of the other bedrooms. I bounced her on my hip as I waited for her bottle to heat up. I had a towel over my shoulder under her mouth because she was now in the spit-up phase. But it was passing. Max was working on some homework in the living room.

We were now juniors and Max was back in school and going to work. We had hired a nice nanny named Jenna who came over and took care of Lexi while we were at school. She was an older woman who had never had kids of her own, so she insisted that taking care of Lexi was no problem. Tyler was enrolled in daycare, but we decided to wait until Alexis could hide her wings better. Jenna knew, but she didn't know many people and she swore to keep quiet about it.

Sometimes the nanny would take Lexi down to the park or to stroll around town, during which time she had to tuck Lexi's wings under her shirt and put a small belt around them. Lexi didn't like it much, but she was kind of used to it until we found an alternative.

I took the bottle out of the microwave and was about to give it to Lexi when I heard a tapping on the door. I walked over and opened the door.

I was shocked but I didn't show it. Max's dad, our father figure, stood in the doorway wearing khaki pants and a white shirt under a hideous green sweater vest. "Jeb," I said simply.

He looked at me. "Fang, how are you? Is Max here?" His eyes had quickly moved on and were locked on my daughter.

"What are you doing here Jeb?" Max asked, coming up behind me. Lexi squealed loudly and reached for the bottle I still held in my right hand. I held to her mouth and she sucked on it happily.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you about some things."

Max frowned and said, "Absolutely not!" at the same time I said "Sure." Max glared at me. "Excuse us for a second." She said, pulling me aside.

"Fang! He's a whitecoat. I bet he wants to take Lexi and do horrible experiments to her!"

"Did you consider that maybe he just wants to meet his granddaughter and see his daughter again? What's the worst that could happen if we let him in? It's not like he can overpower us."

Max frowned. "He could have Eraser backup waiting outside."

"And if he does it doesn't matter if we let him in or not." I pointed out. Max sighed, defeated, and I invited Jeb in.

We sat down on the couch as Lexi happily drained the rest of her bottle. "So why are you here?" Max demanded. I rolled my eyes at her bluntness.

"I just wanted to check on you and help if I can. It took some time, but I finally found you and I wanted to see you again," He looked at us. "It didn't take long for me to guess why you left. I promise I don't wish any harm on your daughter. In fact, I brought something that I think will help."

He pulled a square of skin-colored fabric out of his pocket as I burped Lexi. She spit-up down my back, but it was on the towel so I folded it up and handed it to Max, who went to get me another one and put the dirty one in the laundry room. When she came back, Jeb had unfolded the fabric to reveal a skin-toned shirt about the right size for our baby.

"I call this a skin suit," Jeb explained. "It's skin-tight and waterproof, so Lexi could wear it to the pool or any other time you need to hide her wings. I can get you new ones as she grows, or even get some for the two of you if you ever need them."

I took it from him and examined it. Max was glaring silently at it. "Max, no matter how long you do that, it won't burst into flames." I said. She then glared at me.

I put it on Lexi as Jeb continued about how he had managed to get rid of the Erasers by sending a virus into the system they were using to track us. I had wondered why the Erasers had never come back for Lexi. (Not that I'm complaining.)

I finished putting the skin suit on Lexi, and if you didn't know, you wouldn't even suspect that she had wings. "Okay, I'll admit it, that is impressive." Max said.

Jeb nodded and looked at his watch. "Keep it. I've got to get back to the Flock, but here's my phone number and email address in case you need anything. And I'm more than happy to provide financial support of you need it."

Lexi started bouncing up and down and going "Buh-buh-buh-buh" for no apparent reason.

"What are you doing goofy?" I asked her. She let out a long stream of baby babble and stuck her hands in her mouth. "Well then." I said, raising my eyebrows as Max laughed.

"She told you!"

Jeb reached his hands out. "Could I maybe hold her?" He asked.

"What do you think baby? Do you want to go see Grandpa?" Max asked. The tension was gone from her shoulders and she seemed infinitely more relaxed. She passed our daughter over.

Jeb rocked her gently and poked her nose. Lexi giggled and I saw a softness in Jeb's eyes I hadn't seen since the E-house. He held her for a moment longer before passing her to Max.

"Thanks Jeb. This means a lot." Max admitted. They hugged and I shook Jeb's hand.

Jeb turned back as he was heading out the door. "Remember, if you need anything, contact me."

We agreed and he left. "So, what do you think?" I asked as Max took Lexi's suit off.

"I'm on my toes, but I think we should give him a chance. I'm just glad he didn't ask us to Facebook him," She laughed. "That would have been really weird."

I kissed her temple as Lexi yawned widely. "Oh, I think it's somebody's naptime."

"Mine?" Max asked.

"_You _have homework." I pointed out, taking Lexi. Max grinned and pecked my lips as I went to lay down our baby.

* * *

**Now for those of you freaking out and going, "Oh no, the baby is born, the story must almost be over!", you are wrong. I'm there's at least 10 more chapters in the making for this story, maybe more. You can't get rid of me that easily!**

**Alright, I'm off to Colorado for a week. I'll update when I get back!**


	16. Unicorns and Fireworks

Chapter 15: Unicorns and Fireworks

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy and I had to update my other story first.**

**Thanks to those of you who wished me a good vacation. It was awesome and it totally inspired this chapter, so yay for Colorado!**

**This chapter skips about 4 1/2 years into the future from the last chapter, so don't get lost.**

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**Max POV:**

Four- year-old Lexi bounced excitedly as we headed down on the elevator. Her dirty blonde ponytail, tied up with a red, white, and blue ribbon, bobbed with her. "Mommy, can I have a pinwheel when we get there?" She pleaded.

I sighed. I knew she would be begging me and Fang to buy stuff for her all day, so I simply said, "Let's see how much they are when we get to the store, sweetie. And no asking Daddy!" I said.

"Aw…but Daddy will get it for me!"

"That's why you can't ask him. We're not made of money Lexi."

She crossed her arms and pouted. Her brown eyes narrowed and her bottom lip jutted out. I knew she would get over it as soon as we stepped out of the elevator, so I let her mope.

Alright, time to catch you up. Fang, Lexi, and I had moved with Meredith and Tyler out to Fort Collins so Meredith and I could attend Colorado State University. We lived in an apartment building on the edge of town about fifteen minutes from the college. Meredith lived across the hall from us.

We had finished high school before moving, so we went to prom and tossed our hats and all that crap. No, we did not become prom king and queen. Meredith waited a year to start college so we could be freshman together. I missed our other friends, but Fang and I knew how to not get attached.

Meredith and I were going to start our junior year in the fall. Fang had decided to wait and go to college after I graduated so he could watch Lexi when I was busy. Jeb was paying my tuition so Fang and I could focus on paying for…everything else. Rent, food, utilities, extra things like this, etc. Oh, and in case you didn't figure it out, I was taking Alexis to the July Fourth celebration. Fang was meeting us in the park after he finished his hike.

We hadn't gotten around to contacting the Flock yet. With all the parenting and everything going on, we hadn't had time. I still missed them, but I could only hope they had spread their wings and tried a normal life like we did. Well, I guess if they wanted to try a normal life they needed to keep their wings tucked in, but you know what I mean.

As I expected, Lexi's mood brightened as we stepped outside. There was a parade in half an hour at three o'clock and games in the park until nine-thirty, when the fireworks would start. We walked over to one of the carts selling pinwheels and flags.

"Mommy, can I have a pinwheel pleeeeease!" Lexi clasped her hands and jumped up and down.

I checked the price, only a dollar. "Fine."

"Yaaaay!" Lexi squealed as I paid the vendor, who smiled at Lexi as he passed her a foil pinwheel. She blew happily on it as we walked through the gates to the park. "Daddy!" She squealed, jumping on top of Fang. He looked up from where he was reclining in the grass just in time to get a face full of red-white-and-blue energy.

"Oof! Hey goofy!" He said. I slid our foldable chairs off my back and handed Fang the picnic blanket resting on them.

"Here, spread this out." I commanded as I tugged the chairs out of their bags.

Fang smirked and flipped the blanket out, tugging the corners to straighten it. I set up our chairs on the edge facing the area of the sky where the fireworks were launched. "An order? That's all I get? Lexi seemed much happier to see me," Fang complained.

"It's been what, three hours? Sorry I'm not jumping out of my skin."

"Come on babe, three hours used to earn me a make-out session," he grinned, sitting down on our blanket. I grinned back and sat next to him, placing my hands behind his neck. We leaned in and our lips touched. We pulled back a little before kissing again and again. Then something collided with the side of my head and I fell over sideways.

"No! Mommy, that's yucky!" Lexi complained. When she ran into me she tripped over Fang, so now she was lying on her back and looking at me upside down.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, let's go get a spot to watch the parade."

Now, how was Fang, the man who only wears one color, showing his patriotism? He had on a white shirt under his black leather jacket with his black jeans and black tennis shoes.

"How are you not burning up in that outfit?" I asked as we walked.

Fang shrugged. "I'm resilient. And you'll be jealous when the sun goes down and the temperature drops twenty degrees," he motioned to my American Flag tank-top and jean shorts. "As incredibly sexy as you look, you'll be freezing later." I shrugged.

Lexi tugged on my hand. "Mommy look! There's Tywer and Miss Meredith!" She pointed at our best friends. I nodded and we walked over.

Lexi and Tyler were inseparable. They spent as much time as possible together and Lexi was always asking about him when he was gone. And even though Lexi was smart and could pronounce her "L's" just fine, she always called him "Tywer". It was pretty cute.

Tyler smiled as Lexi stood next to him. We were at the back of the pack and could barely see the street, but Fang could lift up Lexi when the parade came.

"Whoa, the apocalypse must be coming. Fang is wearing white!" Meredith exclaimed.

I laughed as Fang rolled his eyes. "He's being "patriotic". He opted not wear a red, white, and blue Speedo around town."

"Mmm, you would've liked that, wouldn't you Max?" Meredith grinned. I blushed. Fang shrugged.

"I said I would wear one if she would wear a matching bikini, but no such luck." I elbowed Fang in the stomach as the CSU Marching Band walked by to start off the parade.

Fang lifted Lexi up onto his shoulders as local organizations walked/drove by throwing candy and spraying us with water blasters, which felt amazing in the eighty-plus-degree heat. At the end of the parade we headed back to the park.

"Oh, Mommy, I want face paint!" Lexi cried, pointing at one of many booths set up around the field.

"Oh, me too!" Tyler said.

I looked over at the poster, which said it was free, but the line was already long. "Well…."

"Oh, lighten up!" Meredith said. She urged Tyler over next to me and said, "Look, if you'll stand in line with them, I'll go get us some cotton candy," she pointed to a booth with an even longer line directly across the baseball field.

"Fine," I sighed. Fang looped his arm around my waist. He had finally caved and taken his jacket off, leaving it on the field with our chairs. Several college girls were staring at him from various places, so I leaned against him.

Lexi looked up at me, and the look in her eyes told me she wanted something. Oh boy.

"Mommy, will you and Daddy get some paint too?"

It was Fang who answered. "Sweetie, I don't think Mommy and I want to walk around with paint on our faces all day. I'm sure it will look very cute on you though."

"Oh, pleeeease! I really, really want you to!" She looked straight at us.

Let me get one thing straight. Lexi's Bambi eyes made Angel's look like Bowser as giving them. They were huge and chocolate colored and melting my resistance. "Fine. But I can't guarantee that Daddy and I will keep it on all day."

Lexi and Tyler clapped as Fang protested, "What! I don't want my face painted. I'm leaving."

I grabbed his hand. "No you're not. If I have to get face paint, so do you."

We waited in line for a good twenty minutes before we reached the front. Tyler sat down first, much to Lexi's rage. "No, Tywer, I wanted to go first!" She shoved him.

"No Alexis, wait your turn!" I reprimanded. She huffed and pouted against my leg. I was still holding on to Fang as he tried to escape.

Tyler got his face painted to look like Spiderman's mask. Lexi got a huge butterfly across her entire face. When I sat down, the clown asked me what I wanted. "Um…I dunno. Something more adult, I guess."

He nodded and painted a swirling purple, orange, and gold design that started with a feather pattern near my right eye and swirled down to my neck. "That's extremely sexy." Fang complimented. I smiled.

"Your turn Daddy!" Lexi said. Fang groaned.

"C'mon you," I pulled him down into the chair. The other parents in line were watching with amusement. The face painter chuckled as he asked Fang what he wanted.

"It doesn't matter," Fang said grumpily. "I'm just going to wash it off right after this anyway."

Lexi tugged on the hem of my shirt. I picked her up and she whispered a truly evil idea in my ear. I felt a grin spread across my face. I was so proud of her. Leaning down, I whispered the idea in the man's ear and he laughed too.

"What?" Fang said warily.

"Nothing. Lexi just had a great idea for your face paint, that's all."

I watched as the clown dipped his paintbrush into the pink face paint and started brushing it onto Fang's cheek. Fang crossed his arms and stared moodily at the ground.

Lexi and I started giggling as the picture started appearing on Fang's face. He glanced at us out of the corner of his eye but didn't say anything. It didn't take long for him to be done. The guy put a few lines of silver glitter to finish the effect.

"Wait," I said before the clown gave Fang the mirror. I snapped a picture with my iPhone and put it on my Facebook page. "Okay, now he can look."

Fang picked up the mirror and saw…the head of a pretty pink unicorn painted on his cheek. His eyes widened as he realized that said unicorn was now all over Facebook.

"Damn it Max, I'm gonna murder you!" He said, slamming the mirror down. I doubled over with laughter. Lexi and Tyler and pretty much everyone else was giggling hysterically.

The face painter pulled a couple of paper towels and wet them with the water dispenser next to him. You know, those things with the big five gallon blue jugs on the top? Then he handed the paper towels to Fang who used them to scrub his face clean of paint and unicorns.

"No! Don't let him clean it off!" I managed.

"Come on miss. I think you've tortured your man enough," The clown said with a smile.

Fang threw away the paper towels and stalked off. Lexi looked up at me as we followed him. "Mommy, will Daddy put me in time out? I just wanted to be silly," Her eyes filled with worry and she ducked her head.

I kissed her forehead. "I don't think Daddy's mad at you sweetie. I think he's mad at me."

Just then, Meredith walked over with five sticks of cotton candy in her hands. She distributed them and Fang took his without a word, moodily tearing off a chunk with his teeth.

"Gee, what happened to mister sunshine over there?" Meredith asked.

"Check my Facebook page," I said as I bit my candy.

Meredith looked on her Droid and laughed. "Aw, that's adorable! It's totally you Fang."

He rolled his eyes. I looked at the comments I had already received; they all said things along the same lines as what Meredith said. Then I looked at Fang's status, which said, "I now officially hate my girlfriend." I frowned.

"Lexi, why don't you go with Tyler and Miss Meredith while I talk to Daddy?" I said.

"I'm Spider-Man!" Tyler protested.

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. "Okay then, go with Spider-Man and Miss Meredith while I talk to Daddy."

She nodded, gave Fang a worried look, and walked off with her best friend.

I walked over to the love of my life, who looked at me as he threw away his already-finished cotton candy stick. I finished the last bite of mine and threw it away too.

"You're not really mad, are you?" I asked. "It was just a joke," I started kissing his neck. "I love you. Besides, it was Lexi's idea. I thought it was pretty funny."

"Me too."

I pulled back in surprise. "What?"

Fang grinned at me. "I guess this is a compliment to my acting skills. I'm not really mad. I mean, I was when I first saw it, but I guess I did look pretty cute."

I gasped. "You're evil!"

"Says the girl who just got a pink unicorn painted on my face."

"Touché," I said grudgingly. I stood on tiptoe so our lips were even. "So I'm off the hook?"

"Well, I might need a kiss as payment," He teased. I smirked and pressed my lips to his. They tasted like cotton candy. Needing more, I pulled myself closer and ran my tongue along his. Fang sighed and our teeth clicked together in his effort to get closer.

"Max, I'm sorry if you ran out of cotton candy, but there's no need to eat it out of Fang's mouth." Meredith's voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

We pulled apart with a slight sucking sound, laughing happily.

"So I take it Fang isn't mad anymore?" Meredith asked.

I shook my head. The rest of our day progressed lightheartedly as we played games and listened to live bands until it got dark. We sat down to watch the fireworks. Fang was right, I was freezing, but there was no way I would ever admit. I guess he must have seen me shivering though, because he draped his jacket over my shoulders. We snuggled together as the first fireworks started lighting up the sky.

Lexi and Tyler squealed with each explosion, scared but having too much fun to care. I had bought them a one dollar pack of glow sticks and given them each six, which they had around their neck and on their wrists. They were upset when we wouldn't buy them plastic light sabers, but I didn't have that much extra cash.

I hugged the stuffed Minion from _Despicable Me_ that Fang had won me at one of those money-sucking Carnie games. Fang looked fondly at Lexi as she squealed with delight.

"We're doing a pretty good job as parents after all," He said.

I looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. I guess we are."

We kissed and caused a whole different kind of firework to fly. The kind only we noticed.

* * *

**Okay, my vacation was to Telluride, and this is pretty similar to the 4th of July celebration there. I don't know anything about Fort Collins except that I Googled CSU and it said that's where it is. And as for the freezing thing, as soon as the sun went down, it was so cold I could see my breath. I was like, "Wagh! It's July and I can see my breath!" The fireworks were super cool because every time one exploded, you could hear it echo off the mountains. It was awesome.**

**Review? For the sake of Fang's unicorn?**


	17. The Zoo

Chapter 16: The Zoo

**Here comes the Flock again! Well, they're coming soon.**

**Disclaimer: I am now officially disclaimering Maximum Ride. I don't own it, or the Denver Zoo.**

**Claimer: Lexi, Tyler, and Meredith are mine. Just like the plot and this bowtie smiley. =)8**

* * *

**Max POV:**

"Alexis! Come on! We have to leave in ten minutes!" I called.

"Coming!" She called from her room. My daughter ran out in her favorite pink tank top, jean shorts, and tennis shoes. "Daddy, come on," She said, practically jumping out of her skin.

Fang came and stood next to me in the kitchen, holding his black backpack in one hand.

"Okay, checklist time," I said. Fang rolled his eyes. I grabbed the backpack and looked through it. "Facial sunscreen stick? Check. Snacks? Check. Water bottles? Check. Sunglasses?" I slipped mine on to my head. "Check. Fang's got his wallet, we've got our phones… Anything else?"

Fang shook his head and looked at Lexi. "You put sunscreen on, right baby?"

Lexi huffed and crossed her arms. "Yes. And I'm not a baby!" Fang smirked.

"Alright. To the zoo!" I said.

We were going to the zoo with a few of Lexi's friends. The nearest zoo was in Denver, and it took a little over an hour to drive there, so we were meeting Ally, Claire, and Lily's families at the park and driving over. We were riding with Lexi's friend Claire because even though Fang and I had gotten our licenses, we didn't have enough for a car. We just walked everywhere or got a ride.

Much to Lexi's disappointment, Tyler and Meredith were spending the day with Meredith's boyfriend of two years. His name was Phil and he had been visiting his parents in Miami last weekend for the Fourth of July. He as taking Tyler and Meredith on a day trip to some old mining town.

"Everybody ready?" Ally's mom asked. The little girls squealed and bounced excitedly. We loaded up. Fang and I climbed into the back of Claire's mom's minivan. The girls sat in the middle and Claire's parents sat up front. We had put Lexi's booster seat in the van last night.

"Mommy?" Lexi squirmed and turned around to look at me. I lifted my head off of Fang's shoulder and looked at her. "Are we going to see penguins at the zoo?"

"I don't know sweetie. Probably," I said. She clapped and bounced in her seat.

Okay, an important fact about Lexi. She _loved_ penguins. Seriously. She had at least fifteen in her room, and she somehow managed to think up and remember the names for every single one of them. Oh, and all of the names started with "P". She had a Pillow Pet, one of those Happy Napper things, a Webkinz, some Beanie Babies…you name it, and she probably had a penguin one or would be getting one for Christmas.

"Let's play a game," Claire's dad suggested from the passenger seat. "To get us ready for the zoo. We'll go through the alphabet and name an animal that starts with that letter. Starting with A."

"Animal!" Lexi said. We laughed and told her that didn't count. Claire jumped in.

"Anteater," She said proudly. Claire was a sweet girl, but she was very smart and could be a bit of a know-it-all.

"Okay, now B."

"Baboon," Claire didn't miss a beat.

"Hey! I want to say some!" Lexi pouted.

I reached up and patted her head. "Well, do you know an animal that starts with C?"

"Chinstrap penguin," She said smugly.

Claire and her parents stared at her. "She has a picture book with all of the different breeds of penguin at home," I explained. "She reads it at least once a week."

They shrugged and we continued through the alphabet. When we finished animals, we played the same game naming foods and then objects. We were on objects that start with "J" when we pulled into the zoo's parking lot behind Ally's family.

We paid our admission and grabbed a map. I didn't know how much of the zoo we would actually get to seeing, but we agreed to just walk along and enjoy the day. It was about eleven o'clock, so we all used the restroom before heading into the zoo.

I was a bit irritated to come out of the bathroom and see Lexi with a new pair of plastic binoculars from the gift shop around her neck. I glared at Fang, who smiled sheepishly. "They were only six dollars!"

I rubbed my forehead. "Fang, she has genetically enhanced eyesight. She doesn't need binoculars!" I hissed softly.

He frowned. "Max, it's a day at the zoo. Lighten up. What are you going to do? We can't exactly return them."

"Are you guys coming?" One of the other moms called. Fang put Lexi on his shoulders and we walked over.

We stopped at a kiosk just inside the zoo and got the little girls wristbands. On the band we wrote Lexi's first and last name, my phone number, and both my and Fang's names. The other parents did the same to their kids.

"Ready? Okay, to the animals!" I said. The girls cheered.

We started over at the big cats, which were a huge hit. Lily and Lexi started growling and tickling each other, imitating the huge tigers and leopards watching from their habitats. We watched as they bounced onto the benches and tackled each other into the dirt on the side of the path.

Next stop was the giraffes. Lexi used bambi eyes and convinced me to buy her a five dollar head of lettuce to feed them. She sat on Fang's shoulders and squealed with her friends as the animals' long tongues brushed her hands.

We saw several more exhibits before stopping for lunch at a zoo-themed café. Of course, the other members of our group were stunned with our food intake, but they didn't comment. Lexi alone ate enough animal-shaped chicken nuggets to feed a normal three-person family. (That was her favorite food. She would eat chicken nuggets for every meal if we would let her.)

After lunch we finally reached the exhibit Lexi had been waiting for. "Penguins!" She squealed, running up to the glass. Fang and I laughed and ran after her. Lexi bounced happily as the penguins dived off of the rocks to swim. One swam right up to the glass, right at Lexi's eye-level, and she said, "Mommy, look, it's saying hi!"

Fang and I looked at each other and smiled. "I see it sweetie. It must know you like penguins." The other girls crowded next to her, pushing other guests out of the way to see one of the zookeepers feed the birds. The other parents stood behind Fang and I until we finally pulled the girls away.

The next stop was the reptile house. That was almost as big a hit as the penguins. Lexi squeezed my hand, scared of the dim lighting and odd smell at first, but then she was off with her friends, flicking her tongue and running up to the glass. We had a good time trying to find the camouflaged animals hiding on rocks or branches.

We were about to leave when a large daycare pushed down the hall, separating our group. Adult chaperones ushered thirty or so seven-year-olds past us. "Excuse us," One good-looking man muttered, avoiding eye contact and walking quickly past. It was a little odd, but not every parent likes to attend those things. Still, something about him tickled the back of memories.

I lost contact with Lexi, but I assumed she must have been with Fang up closer to the exit. I walked behind the kids and found the other moms and girls waiting by some exotic bird. Fang walked up just as I was about to ask where he was, but the only person with him was Claire's dad.

"Where's Alexis?" I asked him. His eyes widened.

"What do you mean? I thought you had her!"

Ally's mom rushed to soothe me before I started to panic. "Relax. She's probably still inside. One of you check there and the other one go check nearby exhibits while we take the other girls to see the elephants."

We nodded. Fang headed off towards the penguins while I slid in the exit door and searched down the hallway. She wasn't anywhere in the building. I went back through and looked around outside. My daughter was nowhere to be found.

I met up with Fang and the other parents, but no one had seen her. I started panicking. "Mommy, where did Lexi go?" Lily asked, tugging the edge of her mom's shirt. Her mom said she didn't know and ushered the other girls away from the adults.

I mentally retraced our steps. I had seen her before the daycare group, she might be with them somewhere, or…It was like a bolt of lightning. The strange man I had seen inside fit the description of an Eraser in human form. I felt my face pale. I pulled Fang aside and whispered the information to him.

Fang clenched his jaw and nodded. "Alright. I'll go find that group and see if Lexi's with them. You wait here. Remember, she has that wristband, so if she's just lost someone might call."

I was practically shaking with fear as I waited for him to get back. There was a small playground a little farther down the path, so we all went there to let the girls play as Fang and I looked for Lexi.

"They hadn't seen her," Fang said when he came back. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my head into his chest. "But I described the man you said you had seen with them and apparently he was not with the group."

I looked up at him. I felt tears sting my eyes at the thought that Erasers might have my baby girl. Just then my phone rang, and I couldn't believe who was on the other end.

**Ella POV:**

I watched Iggy turn his head back and forth at the numerous strange sounds in the zoo. I squeezed his hand and he turned towards me, smiling. We had been dating for almost five years, ever since Fang had told me Iggy loved me. Well, we broke up once for about a year, but we got back together after I had a bad split with a different boyfriend.

Anyway, since the whole Flock had been living in different places for a year or so, we were having a reunion at the Denver Zoo. Well, most of the Flock was there. Iggy, Gazzy, Angel, Nudge, Mom, and I were looking at animals and eating churros in the eighty-plus degree heat. It was kind of childish, but we were just glad to be together again. I knew Iggy was uncomfortable with all of the weird smells and loud sounds, but we were holding hands and I was guiding him carefully.

"What's that?" Iggy suddenly stopped. We looked at him, Angel breaking away from the penguin exhibit.

"What's what?" I asked. He had been questioning the sounds of different animals all day, but I could tell he heard something else now.

He pointed to a path that led to the zookeepers' entrance to one of the exhibits. "There's a noise coming from over there. It sounds like crying."

Nudge looked at him. "Are you sure? I don't hear anything. But of course, the zoo is really loud. Maybe it's a lost kid! Someone should go check just in case."

Nudge still talked way more than necessary, but her chatterbox had cooled a little as she got older.

Angel tilted her head, listening. "Her thoughts are panicked and scrambled so they're hard to read, but I think it is a lost little girl."

"I'll go help her," I said. Iggy's eyes widened, and I slipped his hand into Mom's. "I'll be back in a flash. I'll meet you in the reptile house."

I jogged down the path before they could protest. I had to go about halfway before I heard the sobbing. I never really understood the full extent of Iggy's super hearing until now. I got to the gate, but I didn't see anyone. I looked around, going off of the path into the trees.

A flash of pink caught my eye. I looked in the gap at the bottom of a tree trunk and saw a little girl about four years old huddling there. Her eyes widened when she looked at me. "Are you here to take me away too?" She whispered.

I shook my head, heartbroken. Who would do this to a little girl? What could possibly have scared her that much? I reached out my arms. "Come here sweetie, I'll help you find your mom," I said soothingly. She was hesitant at first, but she crawled out of the tree and I picked her up. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Alexis. But I like Lexi better," She said, calming down.

"How did you get here Lexi?" I asked, smoothing the dark blonde hair out of her face.

"I was looking at snakes with Mommy and Daddy, and I thought Daddy grabbed my hand but when we got outside it wasn't him. It was someone with scary teeth. They were all pointy, so I thought it was one of the bad men my mommy told me about. I runned away but there were lots of people with pointy teeth trying to get me so I hided under there," Lexi pointed at the tree.

People with pointy teeth? Angel said she had sensed Erasers in the zoo, but they weren't looking for us. Why would they be looking for…I looked at Lexi's chocolate eyes. A thought started forming in my mind. She was the right age….

"Lexi, what do your Mommy and Daddy look like?"

She blinked at me. "My Daddy has black hair and black eyes and he's really tall. Mommy likes to hit him and call him stupid, even though she say that isn't very nice. Daddy said Mommy's a hip…a hyplo…"

"A hypocrite?" I suggested. Lexi clapped her hands together.

"Yes! And my Mommy…," She trailed off and looked at me. "My mommy looks like you! Except she has hair like mine." Lexi put both hands on top of her head for emphasis, revealing the bracelet on her wrist. I gently grabbed her arm and turned it towards me.

"What's this?" I asked. The only thing throwing me off my theory as that Lexi didn't seem to have wings.

"Oh! Mommy says that's for if I get lost!" Lexi said, proudly holding it out to me.

"Well, then I guess I'll just have to give your mom a call, huh? I bet she's very worried about you." I shifted Lexi so I was supporting her with one arm and holding my phone in the other.

"I like you," Lexi said, giving me a squeeze. "What's your name?"

I looked at her, her warm eyes reflecting the light filtering through the trees. I knew she was going to grow up and become a real heartbreaker one day. "Ella," I said.

The names on Alexis's wristband confirmed my suspicions. Maxine Martinez ad Nicholas Ride. I dialed the umber and heard it ring. "Hello?" A frantic voice answered.

"Hello, my name is Ella Martinez. I found a girl who said she was lost and this was the number her bracelet said to call. To whom am I currently speaking?"

"Ella? Oh my God, Fang, Lexi is with Ella!" I heard a deep mumbling on the other end I assumed must have been Fang talking. "Yes my sister Ella, what other Ella's do we know?" I smiled. She hadn't changed at all.

"Anyway, Ella, where are you? Is Lexi okay?" Max sounded panicked.

I sighed. "Max, chill. Lexi's fine. We're near the maintenance gate down the path near the penguins."

"Be there in a moment," Max hung up.

I swayed back and forth as Lexi held on to me and we waited for her parents. I heard footsteps on the mulch and turned to see Max running up with Fang right behind her.

"Lexi! Thank goodness! We were so worried," Max gushed, grabbing her daughter out of my arms.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Lexi squealed. I smiled as they had a small group hug.

Then Fang looked at me. "Hey Ells, how've you been?"

Lexi looked at him. "Daddy, do you and Mommy know Miss Ella?"

Max smiled at her and nodded. "Of course. Lexi, Miss Ella is my sister."

Lexi's eyes widened and her mouth opened into a perfect little "O". "Oh! That makes you my aunt!" Lexi said happily.

"Yeah, I guess it does." I said. "We'll have to catch up, you guys. The rest of the Flock should be in the reptile house. Do you want to come see them?"

Max and Fang looked at each other. "Um…I don't know if we're ready to see them all just yet," Max said. "Why don't you swing by our apartment tomorrow and we'll get all caught up? I'll text you the address."

I nodded. They walked off and I headed back to the Flock. I didn't mention Max and Fang, but I did say I helped the girl find her parents. Then I gave Iggy a warm kiss to thank him for finding her. We finished up an headed home, but my main thought about the day was this: What are the chances?

* * *

**That chapter was pretty _meh_ to me. I didn't like it much.**

**I'm sorry for the wait, but I have band camp every day all day and I haven't had much time to type.**

**3 Good Things About Band Camp:**

**1. It's band. I love band.**

**2. Lots of..._special_ memories you'll have forever. Seriously though, lots of memories, strange and wonderful.**

**3. A cute Drum Major I have to/get to spend lots of time looking at. ;)**

**3 Bad Things About Band Camp:**

**1. I'm extremely sore everywhere.**

**2. I had to get up early and didn't get home until late, so I was doing a nine hour day of vigorous physical activity on six hours of sleep.**

**3. I don't have a lot of free time and camp goes until school starts, so updates might be a little scarce, but I'll do the best I can.**

**Today is my birthday! Well, my birthday was August 5th depending on when you read this. One of the other Mellophones baked me a cookie cake, and it was delicious. You know you're jealous of my awesome friends. :)**


	18. Ella's Visit

Chapter 17: Ella's Visit

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! I had band camp and then school started and…yeah. Guess what? I lost my mouthpiece. I kicked it under the stands at our first game so I'm borrowing one for now. -_-**

**Anyway…since you don't care about my problems, I'll just disclaimer Maximum Ride and stuff and get on with the story.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

I came home from an afternoon of working at the nature center to hear _Sic 'Em On A Chicken_ by the Zac Brown Band playing in the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. Now what were they doing?

I rounded the corner and saw Lexi sitting on the counter watching Fang roll chicken in seasoning. She had flour on her face and was giggling hysterically as she listened to the song. I couldn't help grinning as I wrapped my hands around Fang's waist.

He turned and smiled at me. "Well hello. How was work?"

I shrugged. "Apparently nowhere near as much fun as it would have been at home."

We kissed briefly and I went to change out of my uniform. I worked part time at a nature center a little ways up the mountain and Fang had a job at a bookstore in town. I guess he decided he really liked that job.

I pulled on a magenta blouse and a pair of khaki Capri pants. Then I tugged my hair into a ponytail and put in some silver earrings Fang had gotten me for Christmas. Ella was coming over for dinner soon and I wanted to show her that we had become more civilized.

It felt weird wanting to prove myself to my little sister, but I couldn't help it. She had always been the most civilized, and I didn't want to look like a slob to anyone, much less her.

I walked back out and wiped the flour off of Lexi's face. Fang finished cleaning the counter and set the timer for the oven. They sat down on the couch to watch TV as I did a quick inspection of the house.

Once I decided everything was in order, I sat down next to my boyfriend and daughter until I heard a knock on the door. Showtime.

**Ella POV:**

I checked the text again to make sure I was at the correct apartment and knocked on the door. I was alone. Max had specifically said not to bring the Flock quite yet. I had no idea what their hesitation was, but I respected their choice.

Max opened the door and I looked at her. She had changed a lot in five years. "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong apartment," I said. "My sister doesn't wear pink."

Max rolled her eyes. "Shut up and come in."

I saw Lexi curled up against Fang on the couch watching something that sounded really annoying. I watched my niece's eyes light up when she saw me.

"Aunt Ella!" She cried. She jumped up from the couch and ran over, wrapping her arms around my legs.

"Hey sweetie. How are you?" I asked, picking her up.

"Good," She said. "We makin' chicken." She pointed at the small kitchen next to the living room.

I sniffed. "It smells super yummy," I said. "I guess it's a good thing I brought dessert then, huh?" I pulled a bag of chocolate-chip cookies I had baked that afternoon out of my purse.

Max took them out of my hands faster than I could register that they were gone. She squeezed me and took the cookies into the kitchen as I set down Lexi. Fang chuckled and walked over to me. "Five years of being a mother and living on our own hasn't changed her at all." He said.

Max stuck her tongue out at him. I swallowed a grin and looked at Fang. "And how are you?"

He just shrugged. "You know, same old, same old." The corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile. I gave him a hug and was surprised when he actually hugged me back. He pulled away and grabbed Lexi by her ankles, flipping her upside-down. She squealed with delight.

"Fang," Max said with a disapproving frown.

He shrugged and gently laid Alexis back down on the floor. A beeping sound came from the oven. "Chicken's ready!" Lexi exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

Fang went to take the food out of the oven and Max led me over to the table, which had been set really nicely, especially for them. Fang brought over some chicken that made my mouth water, a fresh salad, and a basket of rolls. "Wow. Do you guys eat like this all the time or is this just for me?"

Max shrugged, cutting Lexi's chicken into bite-sized pieces. Lexi had a chicken breast, a roll, and a salad. It was only slightly less than what I had. I guess she inherited her parents' appetite. They each had three chicken breasts, three rolls, and a huge salad.

"What do you want to drink?" Fang asked. I said I didn't care, so he brought me, Max, and himself a soda. He poured Lexi a small cup of apple juice.

"So, what have you guys been up to all these years?" I asked.

"Parenting," Max said. "Lexi's going to start school in the fall for the first time, aren't you Lexi?"

She nodded. "Yep. I gonna be in preschool!" She said happily.

"Are you really?" I said, smiling. She was so sweet.

"Yeah. But Mommy says Tywer can't be in my class. She says he's too big." Lexi frowned and put another piece of chicken in her mouth.

"Who's Tyler?" I asked.

Lexi's eyes widened. "He's my best friend!" She exclaimed, as though it were pure blasphemy for me not to know that. I looked at Max.

"My best friend Meredith also has a kid, a son named Tyler," Max explained. "He's only a few months older than Lexi, but since her birthday is in October and his is in August, he's a grade ahead of her."

"Oh, ok," I said. "This chicken is really good."

"Thanks," Fang smiled. "Lexi helped, didn't you sweetie?" He asked.

"Yep!" She said.

Max and Fang kept the topics mostly on Lexi and away from the Flock. We finished dinner and had cookies and milk. Then we watched The Phineas and Ferb Movie with Lexi. It was surprisingly good.

When it was over, I could see Lexi's eyelids drooping. Her lips split in a huge, adorable yawn. "Alright, time for baby's bedtime." Fang said.

"No! I'm not tired. And I'm not a baby…," Lexi's voice trailed off and Fang picked her up.

"Can I see her room?" I asked. Fang nodded.

I blinked in surprise when we entered. "Whoa. I asked to go to Lexi's room, not Antarctica," I was overwhelmed by sheer amount of penguins.

Lexi's walls were light blue and there were penguin toys everywhere. Stuffed ones, plastic ones, decorative figurines…you name it.

Fang chuckled. "No, Antarctica doesn't have anywhere near as many penguins in it."

He helped a sleepy Alexis into a pink nightgown and tucked her in. I saw her wings flutter slightly before settling over her back like a blanket. They were silky and beautiful. There was a thick band of black feathers at the top, a band of white ones in the middle, and a big brown stripe of feathers along the bottom. I went back out to Max.

"Does Lexi like penguins, by any chance?" I asked. Max laughed. "Fang seems like a really good father," I commented.

Max immediately got a dopey look on her face. "Yeah. He's so amazing." She sighed.

I grinned. "So I take it your relationship is going well?"

"Oh, shut up," Max blushed.

"So do you two, still, you know…?" I wasn't quite sure how to ask without being awkward, but Max caught on.

"Do we have sex a lot? Actually, we've only done it once, ever. And the result was Lexi."

I tried to hide my surprise, but I guess Max noticed it anyway. "Yeah, Fang and I are really a happy couple, but I said I wanted to wait until we were married until we did it again. It's just a better environment for everyone, you know?"

"Believe me, the lack of sex has nothing to do with lack of trying," Fang said from behind me. Max rolled her eyes as he sat down next to her.

"Speaking of which, what's with the lack of a shiny ring?" I asked. It surprised me that they hadn't _really_ made it official. It's not like being married would change much.

They looked at each other. "We just wanted to wait until Max had finished college," Fang said.

"Yeah, I mean, we love each other, but we _are_ only twenty. Besides, a wedding isn't cheap, and we don't really have a lot of extra cash. And as Fang said, I want to finish college first."

"Oh, do you go to CSU?" I asked excitedly.

Max nodded. "Yep. Meredith and I will be juniors in the Fall."

"How cool! I'll be freshman there that semester!" I said.

"Really? Well, then I guess we would have run into you sooner or later anyway."

I nodded. "So, tell me more about Meredith. You've mentioned her a few times." I said.

"We met her the first week we were gone. She's my age and was also a teen parent. We lived in the same town as her for about three years before we all moved here," Max explained. "She's really nice and helped us a lot when we first moved in. You'll have to meet her some time."

I said I would love to. Max finally asked about the Flock. "They're doing great," I said. "They've kind of split up and done different things. After you left, the Erasers and stuff stopped attacking, so Nudge suggested they all try a normal life. Mom and I decided we needed to be closer to the Flock, so we moved up here a few months after you left.

"Mom still work as a vet at a clinic in Denver. As I said, I'll be going to CSU as a fish in the fall. Nudge is a senior in high school and is going to college to be a make-up artist or something like that. Gazzy and Angel are also in high school. Gazzy wants to join the military and I don't think Angel knows what she wants to do yet."

"Gazzy wants to join the military?" Max asked.

I nodded. "And I mean legitimately. He's done all sorts of research and he's even in some military program at his school. Think about it. It really is the best place for him to use his skills." I said. I saw her jaw tighten but she nodded.

Fang leaned over and put his lips against her ear. He murmured something to her for a moment before she nodded and muttered something back. Max put her hand on his chest and pushed him off when he started kissing her neck.

"You're sure you haven't been having crazy sex-a-thons at night?" I asked, tying not to laugh. Max flipped me off.

"And how are you and Iggy doing?" Fang asked. I blushed.

"Great. We got together, dated for two years, broke up for a year, then got back together and have been that way ever since."

"Good for you," Max said. "So what is Iggy doing besides that?"

"He's at some culinary school out of state. He brings back all sorts of crazy recipes for us to try, so it's pretty awesome except I don't see him much. Iggy is home for the summer right now though."

"Do you all live in the same house?" Fang asked.

"Nope. Mom and I live in one house and the rest of the Flock still live in their house. Since most of us will be heading to college soon, I think Mom is thinking about letting Angel and Gazzy move in with her next year. We have a four-bedroom house, so we have plenty of room."

"And what about Dylan?" Max asked. I noticed Fang tense up and she hit him with her elbow.

"Um…we don't know exactly," I said nervously. "After Mom and I moved up and everyone decided to try normal living and stuff, he got all crazy. First he got mad really easily, saying we were betraying you and all that crap. Then he got really antisocial after a few weeks. One day he just vanished, and we haven't seen or heard from him in years."

Max looked a little upset but Fang muttered something that sounded like, "Good riddance."

"Fang," Max said, frowning at him.

He turned to her. "Well, I didn't exactly love the guy."

She consoled him and they kissed again. I told them about how Total and Akila were getting older and had a litter of puppies. I described Total's reaction when Mom got Akila fixed. (It was a cross between terrifying and the funniest thing I had ever seen.) I also described his reaction when Mom and I got a cat.

Max and Fang told me more stories and facts they didn't want to share with Lexi around. They told me about the time Lexi came out of their bathroom with some of Max's maxi-pads stuck all over her body. (I laughed hysterically for what seemed like an hour as Fang described it.) They told me about their worries and about seeing Jeb again.

By the time we finished talking, it was past eleven o'clock. "Crap," I muttered, looking at my watch. "Um, I don't mean to inconvenience you, but could I possibly spend the night here?" I asked. Max said fine but I had to sleep on the couch. I didn't mind. I was just glad I had gotten to see them again.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Iggy asked as I walked in the front door. I had just gotten back from my third visit to Max's house. I had spent the day at a carnival with her, Fang, Lexi, Tyler, and Meredith (whom I really liked) then spent the night again. We had planned that max, Fang, and Lexi would come reunite with the Flock next week, on my birthday.

"Just out and about," I said. I hated lying to him, but I couldn't say anything yet. I tried to head to my room, but he stopped me and crossed his arms.

"Out and about where?"

I hesitated. "I was at a friend's house."

His eyes narrowed. What did I do to piss him off? "Oh really? The same "old friend" you saw at the zoo, visited, and _spent the night with_ a few weeks ago? Is that where you were last week?" Iggy seemed thoroughly upset.

"It doesn't matter to you," I said stiffly. I wanted to tell him the truth so badly. "Why do you want to know?"

Iggy was quiet for a moment. "Ella…are you cheating on me?"

Oh. I was mad for a brief second, then I realized that f the roles were reversed, I probably would have reached the same conclusion. I had been disappearing and spending the night away from home. I was obviously lying about it.

"No, Iggy, I'm not."

"Then where have you been?"

I bit my lip. "I…I can't tell you."

Iggy took a deep breath. His cloudy eyes were full of sadness. "Well, Ella, here's the thing. Whether you are cheating on me or just lying to me, I can't be in a relationship with someone who keeps secrets."

I gasped, and my eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Iggy, no! You don't understand-"

"Then will you tell me where you've been?" He demanded.

"I told you," I said with a shaking voice. "I can't tell you."

He shook his head. "Then I'm sorry Ella. We're through." Iggy walked away from me.

I sprinted up to my room and proceeded to sob into my pillows. I was ecstatic to have Max back in my life again, but if it meant losing Iggy…. It was like finding a diamond necklace then losing one thousand dollars. It was hard to tell if I really gained anything.

Hopefully Iggy would take me back when Max came for my birthday. That was my only birthday wish.

* * *

**I finished typing this, reread it, and realized something weird. You know how I said Tyler's b-day was in August and Lexi's was in October, so they were a year apart in school? Well, my b-day is in August, my best friend Rachel's b-day is in October, we're a year apart in school even though I'm only a few months older than her. I was like O_o freaky coincidence!**

**I'll try not to take so long updating, but my schedule is super-packed, so no promises. And please don't bother me about it! But reviews might help...maybe...**


	19. Mothers and Making Out

Chapter 18: Mothers and Making Out

**I have nothing to say at the moment except for a disclaimer. Read my apologies at the bottom. So, without further ado, I disclaim anything copyrighted. I do own Lexi, Tyler, Meredith, and the plot.**

* * *

**Fang POV:**

"Fang, have you seen my black sandals?"

"They're under the couch."

"Thanks. Baby, where's Lexi's jacket?"

"In the dryer."

"Fang, did you move my phone?"

"No, it's right next to the TV, where you left it."

"Oh. And have you seen-"

"Max!" I interjected. "I know you're nervous, but could you please take a chill pill?" I was a little sick of listening to her fret.

Today was Ella's birthday, also known as the day we reunited with the Flock. I knew Max was nervous as heck, but she needed to breathe. If not, she would psych herself out the same way she had before her C-section.

I knew exactly how to distract her. I stood up, walked over to her, grabbed her wrists, and started pulling her into our room.

"Daddy? Is it time to go?" Lexi asked as I tugged Max inside.

"Um, in a minute. Go play with your penguins until Mommy and Daddy are ready to go."

She frowned at me. "Are you and Mommy gonna kiss?" she asked. I almost laughed at how easily she guessed.

"Yes, so unless you want to watch, I suggest you go play," I said. Lexi's eyes widened in fear and she sprinted into her room.

Smirking, I closed the door. "Now…," I trailed off suggestively, bringing my lips to hers. A small smile teased the corners of her mouth. I removed my hands from her wrists and used them to cup her face. She put her hands on my chest and gently pushed me back.

"Fang, Lexi's right. We need to go." I ignored her, again pressing my lips against her soft ones.

"Mmm…your lips are so cold," I murmured, letting my tone drip with seductiveness. I put my hands on her waist and pushed her down onto our bed. I kissed her warmly, moving us so her head was on the pillows and I was on top of her, supporting my weight on my arms.

"Mph," Max pushed me back again. "Fang, I don't really think now is the best time for a make-out session."

"It is always a good time for a make-out session," I whispered. I was really in the mood now. My hands slid down involuntarily, resting on her thighs. I rubbed circles on the rough denim of her jeans. "What's the worry?"

Max made a whimpering noise in the back of her throat. I knew she was as turned on as I was. "We have to go. Ella's party…"

"Will still be there when we're done. It only takes about twenty minutes to fly to Denver, and her party doesn't start for half an hour," I kissed her a few more times before pulling back. "Do you really want to stop?"

"No," Max moaned, pulling herself back to me. Her legs twisted around my waist and yanked her hips to mine. Oh man.

Being Max and all, she made sure my shirt was gone as quickly as possible. Now, one thing I want to make perfectly clear. I do not have an eight pack. Max exaggerates. It's only a six pack. I don't work out enough for an eight pack.

Her fingers stroked the area where my wings met my back I slid one hand under the hem of her shirt, but she quickly pulled it back out and set it on her back. "That isn't fair," I whined.

Max just slid her tongue between my teeth. God, I had forgotten how dirty she could get when she wanted to. I moaned deep in my chest. "Shh…Lexi's gonna hear," she whispered in a voice that was so hot I couldn't even describe it.

"Don't you think we should do this kind of thing a little less?" Max gasped breathlessly after another minute.

"Hm?" I wasn't really functioning with any degree of coherency.

"I mean, we're parents now and all. Don't you think we should have, I don't know, mellowed out?" Max was straddling my hips, looking at me thoughtfully.

I shrugged. "Well, we may be parents, but we are only twenty. I think we're behaving exactly as we should for a couple our age. Besides," I pulled her close again. "If you compared this Max to the Max prior to pregnancy, I think you'd see you've changed quite a bit."

Max shrugged and we went back to kissing. She was still straddling me, and she started doing something kinky with her hips that drove me crazy. I struggled to keep my groans quiet and reached for the button on her jeans. Of course she stopped me.

"_No _Fang."

"Come on!" I moaned. "You can't act like that then deny me at the last minute!"

Max smirked and slid off of me. "Of course I can. Now come on, we need to get going."

I sat up and blushed a little. "Um, I might need a minute to _cool off_ first," I said sheepishly.

Max's eyes flicked down to my crotch and back up, glaring. "Seriously Fang!"

"It's not my fault! I didn't expect you to start _grinding_, for Pete's sake!"

Max pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ugh. Take a cold shower and meet me and Lexi down at the park in ten minutes, or we're flying to Ella's without you."

I smirked. "You sure? I can think of a better way to make it go away…,"

She just glared some more. "Ten minutes." She grabbed a hairbrush and walked into the hallway.

I stepped into the bathroom and twisted the water temperature to as cold as it would go.

* * *

When I was done, I headed down the elevator and met Max at Lexi's favorite playground. Max was pushing Lexi on the swings. "Daddy, you slowpoke!" Lexi said. Max frowned at me.

I grinned sheepishly. "All better."

"What was wrong?" Lexi asked, her brown eyes sparkling with innocence.

"Uh, nothing sweetie," Max reassured, glaring at my amused smirk. "Why don't you go get Peter and we'll head to Aunt Ella's?" Peter was her penguin Pillow Pet, and he was her favorite toy. Well, he was her first, so I think it was more of a security blanket thing.

We lived near the edge of town so we could just walk right to the tree line into the mountains. We walked a little ways into the forest, me gripping Lexi's hand tightly and her squeezing Peter. When we reached a clearing, I turned to Lexi.

"Do you want to try taking off or do you want us to carry you up?" I asked her.

We had started giving Lexi flying lessons less than a year ago, when all of the fluffy, downy feathers had fallen out and given way to silky ones for flying. We found a cliff outside of town, hidden so that we couldn't be seen and high enough for Lexi to learn. Max and I had no idea how to train her, so I took the natural bird approach. I dropped Lexi off the cliff.

Before you all give me horrified looks like Max did, that made sense at the time. And it worked, sort of. Lexi instinctively pumped her wings and actually managed to fly just under a hundred feet before Max had to catch her and bring her back. Believe me, I never thought I'd hear the end of that. Luckily, Lexi's only response to that trauma was, "Again, again!"

Flying lessons had sort of become a reward for her. If she behaved and listened, we would give her flying lessons on the weekends. If not, then we wouldn't. She was getting pretty good with her flying technique, but her stamina was really low. She could barely stand a lesson of more than half an hour, but she was getting better. She also couldn't take off without leaping out over open air first, and her landings were shaky to say the least, but she loved it.

"Carry me," she demanded. I just looked at her. "Carry me please?" she corrected.

I smiled and picked her up. Max and I launched into the air, quickly gaining altitude.

When we were high enough, I let Lexi go. She spread her wings, but her movements were jerky and without rhythm. She quickly started dropping. It took me and Max less than a heartbeat to figure it out. I flew down to my daughter, scooping her up in my arms.

"Here, sweetie, give me Peter," I said. I took the toy and let Lexi go again. This time, her wings quickly found a rhythm. Max and I noticed that Lexi flew with her arms spread out wide, probably to balance out wings until she was a better flier. Holding her stuffed animal had thrown her off.

Max and I had to fly slowly to keep pace with Lexi, but we didn't mind. We both gave her pointers, and we both saw her strength start fading about halfway to Denver. She had never flown this far in one stretch before.

Max swooped down and gathered Lexi in her arms. Without having to wait for her, Max and I quickly picked up the pace. We covered the second half to Ella's house in about half the time it took us to fly the first half.

We landed in front of the address Ella had given us. It was a nice house.

"You ready?" I asked a tense looking Max. Her eyes were unreadable.

"Yes," she said. "I just hope they are."

**Nudge POV:**

I laughed as Iggy recounted some stupid story from his college. Who would have thought culinary school could get so wild? Ella was over in the corner, a dejected look on her face. I knew about her and Iggy's breakup, and I felt awful for her, but I did think Iggy was kind of right.

Now, don't take that the wrong way. I did used to have a little crush on Iggy, but then I saw him and Ella and I knew he just wasn't meant for anyone else. I actually had a boyfriend now, a nice guy named Trent. He was cute and never pressured me for sex or anything. We had been dating for almost a year.

A knock on the door interrupted him. Ella sat up, her face brightening.

"Who's that?" Gazzy asked. "Dr. M would have just walked in, right? Who else is there?"

Angel was staring at the door, wide-eyed. "Oh, I don't believe it!" She whispered.

Ella opened the door and I heard a little cry of, "Aunt Ella!"

"Hey goober!" Ella said. Her whole attitude changed. Despite the fact that it was her eighteenth birthday, Ella had been in a horrible mood since Iggy broke up with her. Now she was grinning and I don't think she could have looked happier.

"Wow, this is quite the house," a familiar voice said. I would have known that voice anywhere. The only difference was that it used to be backed by tension, every word concealing the simple threat that if you messed with them, you would die. Now it was calm and had a happy note to it.

A woman with dirty blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes, and a small wrapped box walked in. Her hair was straightened, she had on a deep blue blouse, and her ears held crystal flower-shaped earrings. I hardly recognized her, but the man with dark hair, dark eyes, and a black outfit that wrapped his arms around her made me believe it.

Max and Fang were back. And they had a kid.

We were all quiet for a moment. Max's eyes scanned us thoroughly, taking in how different we were, just as we were dong to her. Her eyes held an emotion I couldn't identify.

What really weirded me out was when Fang, of all people, broke the silence. He looked at Max's expression. "You're not going to cry, are you?" He asked.

Max smacked him on the back of the head. "No, I'm not going to cry!"

I laughed. "And just when I started thinking about how different you seemed!"

They laughed too, and the tension popped like a bubble. "I can't get over how different you all look!" Max admitted, sitting down on the other side of the couch from me.

"How different we look? You vanished and came back with a freaking kid!" Gazzy exclaimed. Max blushed.

"What took you guys so long?" Ella asked. "I was expecting you guys to get here almost an hour ago!"

"Well, we were going to leave early, but we got held up," Max glared at Fang as she said the last two words.

Fang gave a slightly embarrassed smirk. "Not my fault."

"You two made out instead of coming to my party?" Ella guessed.

Max crossed her arms. "It was Fang's idea," she muttered.

"Wow. Five years, and I think the only difference is you haven't threatened to kill anyone yet," I joked.

Max smiled. "But there's a huge difference in you. Before, you would have turned that simple observation into an essay."

I shrugged, but before I could reply Max and Fang's daughter came running down the stairs. "Mommy, this house is huge! I want this house!" She said, springing into Max's lap.

Max chuckled nervously, "Sweetie, we have a house."

"No we don't," The little girl crossed her arms. "We live in a aparmin."

"An apartment," Max corrected. "And it suits us just fine."

Before they could argue any farther, Fang interrupted. "Lexi, don't you want to meet your other aunts and uncles? You should introduce yourself."

Fang's daughter twisted in her mother's arms. "Who are they?"

Ella laughed. "Everyone in here, silly. Except for you and your parents."

"Oh!" She said happily, too young to realize that we couldn't all possibly be related to her, we looked too different. "Hi, I'm Alexis! But I like Lexi better."

Lexi had turned so she was facing us. "What are your names?"

"I'm your Aunt Nudge," I said. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. After Iggy introduced himself, Lexi hopped out of Max's lap and ran over to him. She jumped net to him on the couch and looked at him closely. He turned his blank eyes to her.

"You have scary eyes," Lexi told him. She didn't seem afraid though, just speculative.

Max gasped. "Alexis Ride! You apologize right now!"

"It's okay Max," Iggy said softly. "I'm blind, Lexi. That means I can't see anything."

"Oh," Lexi said in a small voice. "Are you my Uncle Iggy? Because Aunt Ella talks about you lots. Mommy says she loves you."

I felt the tension in the room increase again. Before anyone had to reply, the door opened. "We're back!" Dr. M and Jeb walked in.

Lexi turned around and her eyes lit up. "Grandpa!" She cheered, running over and hugging Jeb's legs.

"Well hello sugar. How are you?" Jeb picked her up and smiled warmly.

"Who is this?" Dr. M asked. Something about her tone told me she had a pretty good idea who she was.

Max stood up. "Hey Mom."

Lexi responded before Dr. M could. "You're Mommy's mommy? That makes you my grandma!" Lexi smiled happily, but her grandmother just stared. Lexi's smile faded. "Right? Did I do somethin' wrong?"

Max walked over. "Lexi, you didn't do anything wrong. You're way too lovable. Why don't you let Mommy and Grandma talk for a minute?"

Max and Dr. M walked into a separate room as Jeb and Lexi sat down by Fang. After a moment, conversation resumed as normal.

**Max POV:**

Mom walked in behind me and closed the door. We were in a second, smaller living room.

"Maximum Ride, I cannot believe you," Mom said. I knew I was about to get a full scale parent lecture. I sat down in unhappy anticipation.

"Finally you get a nice house, plenty of food, and reasonable protection, and what do you do? You run away to Vegas with some guy."

"We didn't run away!" I interrupted, offended. "The Flock kicked us out. And I didn't run off with _some guy, _Fang wanted to come with me."

"Regardless, you didn't have to go to Vegas. I didn't even know that's where you had gone during that time until a few weeks after Total and Akila's wedding, when Jeb told me. A few weeks after your little vanishing act. Do you have any idea how scary that was? Do you know how hard it was for these kids to cope without you?"

That was like someone simultaneously smacking me in the face and stabbing me in the heart with a knife. "You think I wanted to leave?" I said softly.

Mom took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I don't know what was going on in your head Max. After all that talk about abstinence and good decisions, after finally finding you…I was so worried," she opened her eyes and I was surprised to see tears in them. "To have finally found you…then to have you ripped away…."

"Mom," I interrupted, standing up and embracing her. "I'm really sorry. Fang and I…we left because we thought it was the best thing for our baby. Away from the Flock, from isolation, from Eraser attacks…can you see our reasoning? And when we left we honestly had no intention of waiting this long to get back in touch. We meant to get in touch two years ago, but we never got around to it."

She nodded. "I understand. Just don't do it again, okay?"

I smiled. "Mom, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so, you know, pro-chastity? I mean, I get it, things like Lexi might happen, but is there a specific reason? And you seemed so worried that I threw myself away when you realized Fang and I had sex."

Mom sat down on the couch. I sat next to her. "You know I originally only had you for experimental reasons, right?" Mom asked. I nodded. "Well, when I first let Jeb try to get me pregnant, all I cared about was my job, my research."

"How many tries did it take?" I blurted. I guess I hadn't realized that pregnancy wasn't always a one-hit wonder type thing, like Alexis.

Mom blushed. "Maximum! Most people don't want to share that kind of information! But, well, more than one," she admitted. I smirked.

"Anyway, the lab gave me special treatment, the best care. Then somewhere along the road, I fell in love with you. I truly realized that I had a little life inside of me, my own child. I wanted to name you, to sit with Jeb and imagine what you would be like, boy or girl. My feelings for Jeb were slightly above professional at the time. "

I remembered doing those very things with Fang. Cuddling in bed, deciding Lexi's name, wondering which of our characteristics she was going to have. I could relate.

"Jeb said name didn't matter, and that you would just be called Experiment One. It wasn't until years later that Jeb realized he loved you too. They were thrilled about the outcome of the amniocentesis. Your wings were developing fine, along with the wings of the little males, Fang and Iggy, also developing. If the three of you grew up well, one of them would be your mate."

Well, they had been right about that.

"I went along with it, thinking he was right. Then you were born and they took you away, so I hardly ever got to see you. After a little over a year, I had a big fight with Jeb about it, demanding to see you. He warned me I wouldn't like it. I didn't listen.

"They were doing tests on you when he took me. Hearing you scream…it brought out a whole side of me I didn't know I had. I went wild, screaming, trying to get to you. They fired me and threw me out," Mom took a deep breath. I sat quietly, waiting.

"I got really depressed after that. You and my job were everything to me. One of my friends tried to shake me out of my funk by, well, taking me to a club," Mom admitted. I actually had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Mom at a club? No way.

She caught me. "Excuse me! Keep in mind I wasn't even thirty yet at the time."

"Sorry," I muttered, still amused.

"Anyway," Mom continued, "I had too many drinks and woke up naked in an empty bed. There was no one there and I had no idea where I was. Turns out my friend had also invited her cousin, and he took me to his house. I had Ella nine months later."

I raised my eyebrows at this window into my mom's past. It was weird to think of her clubbing, but now I totally got why she was so anti-sex.

Mom smiled at me. "Well, now that I've poured my soul out to you, how about we meet that daughter of yours? I'm sure she's wonderful."

**Fang POV:**

I walked into the kitchen to get some food. Iggy was already in there, slender fingers grabbing some of everything. He turned as I walked in. "Fang?" He asked.

"Yep," I grabbed a plate and proceeded to pile it with food. He nodded at my confirmation. I felt a slight ache. Iggy had always been like a brother to me. Sure, he and Gazzy were more alike in personality, but Iggy and I had known each other almost as long as Max and I had.

I hopped up on the counter that didn't have food on it. "Sorry to duck out on you like that man," I apologized.

Iggy shrugged. "It's cool dude. I was a little pissed at first-I mean, come on, you left me with Dylan," I nodded sympathetically, though he couldn't see it, and put a cookie in my mouth. "But I guess now I kind see why you did it. If I had to choose between Ella or the Flock…I couldn't make that decision."

I looked at him. "What's up with you and Ella? She seems mopey."

Iggy was quite for a moment, chewing on grapes. "We broke up."

I blinked in surprise. "How come? She made it sound like things were going so well."

Iggy turned his blank eyes to me. "If Max claimed to meet an "old friend" at the zoo, then continually disappeared overnight, what would you assume?"

Ah. Now it made sense. "You thought Ella was cheating on you," I stated.

"What was I supposed to think?"

I held up my hands, something else he couldn't see. "I'm not blaming you man. It was pretty weird. But don't you think you should take her back now? I mean, she only lied for our sake."

"Yeah, I know," Iggy looked sad. "But do you really think she'll take me back?"

"I have no doubt. I'd even bet that's her number one birthday wish."

Iggy nodded. "I hope so, because I bought her this really pretty ornament for her hair. Oh, and do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Keep an eye on Ella. Just make sure she isn't going home with any college guys."

I chuckled. "Somehow, I wouldn't be too worried."

**Ella POV:**

"Ella, can I talk to you?" Iggy called from the dining room. My heart started thumping. I knew he had talked to Fang. Could Max's boyfriend possibly convinced him to take me back?

I saw Lexi run to Fang and ask him for food as I went and stood by Iggy. "What's up?" I asked, praying that my voice wouldn't betray my emotions.

"Ella…I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said you weren't cheating on me," Iggy started awkwardly.

"That's okay. I mean if the roles were reversed, I probably would have assumed the same thing."

"Yeah, but…," Iggy turned to me, "I'm just sorry, okay? And-"

He was cut off by a wail from the kitchen. "Fine, then I guess you'll be hungry!" Fang said angrily, running a hand through his dark hair. Lexi was throwing a fit on the floor.

"Is she okay?" I asked him as he walked past Iggy and me.

Fang sighed. "Yeah, but she's a four-year-old. Just let her mope for a minute, then she'll remember she's hungry. Please leave her alone so she learns that crying won't get her anything." I nodded.

"Anyway," Iggy continued as Fang walked back into the living room. "I, well, I was hoping maybe you'll take me back?" Iggy looked hopefully at me. How was it possible for someone to be that adorable?

I grinned. "Oh Iggy, of course I'll take you back. That was my birthday wish!" I kissed him warmly.

After a moment, Iggy's arms twisted around my waist and pulled me closer. I felt my lips curl into a smile as his kisses got more passionate. If this was how Max felt about Fang, no wonder they were inseparable.

Something hit me in the side of the head, not hard enough to hurt but enough to startle us. I looked down to see a red plastic cup at my feet. "Stop sucking face, there are little kids here!" Max called. She and Mom were done talking.

"Hypocrite!" I called back. Everyone laughed.

Iggy wrapped his arm around my waist and we sat on couch. Lexi came in, holding a plate with some chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A and a cookie. She sat in between Max and Fang sat down after her. I opened my presents, which included a beautiful silver butterfly for my hair from Iggy and a homemade bracelet from Lexi.

So far, it was a pretty good birthday.

* * *

**Max POV:**

"Mmm…mmm…mm, Fang, stop."

Fang rolled me over and smiled at me. "Really? Bad time for a massage?"

I kissed his nose. "Not now. Massages tend to lead to…other things."

Fang smirked. "Mmm, that was the idea baby." He started kissing me.

I pushed him back. "Stop it."

He moved so my back was pressed against his stomach. His lips started pressing on my neck. I rolled my eyes. "You never stop, do you? Wasn't this morning enough?"

"It'll ever be enough until I've got you naked again. I'll admit though, you haven't gotten me that _excited_ in a while."

I blushed. "Shush! We don't want the Flock to hear us!"

We were sleeping on the foldout bed in the couch at Mom's house. It had been too late to fly back, so we were staying with the rest of the Flock. Lexi was sleeping in Angel's room.

Since everyone had gotten along so well, we had decided to meet up to do something or at least talk on the phone every Saturday. Mom said Lexi was welcome to stay with them if we ever needed a babysitter.

If I could just get Fang to keep it in his pants, everything would be perfect.

* * *

**Okay guys, I am so so so so so so so sorry for the long wait. I've had band and homework and more band and more homework, with a little bit of band and few snacks in between. (Notice that sleep is not on the list.) **

**This chapter wasn't quite long enough to make two chapters, and by the time I realized I probably _could_ post it as two short chapters, I had made you wait so long I figured I would just post an extra-long chapter. It was 12 pages on word, 3 of which were just Max and Fang's make-out session at the beginning.**

**I'll try not to take so long next time, and marching season is only for about another month or so. After that, I'll be able to update much more often (I think).**

**Remember to check out my other story, An Enchanted Curse. I'll be updating that next. I love you guys, thanks for being patient and sticking with me. High school is hectic. :)**

**[PS. Guess what girl just got Son of Neptune? This one! So, reading that will be my number one priority. Then I'll update. ;)]**


	20. Hiking

Chapter 19: Hiking

**Ugh, writer's block. I knew where I wanted to go, but not how to get there, so this chapter is crap. Sorry!**

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**Max POV:**

I pulled on my tennis shoes and twisted my hair into a lazy ponytail. We were going hiking with Meredith and the Flock. Our plan was to hike an easy trail with Lexi and Tyler, then have a picnic lunch at the waterfall and come back down. Then we were going to hang out and do something else, but we would decide exactly what later.

"Mommy! I can't find my shoes!" Lexi pounded on my door.

I stepped into the living room. "Lexi, I can see them. They're under the couch," I helped her tie them and went downstairs to meet Fang and Meredith, who were waiting in the lobby.

We met the Flock at the base of the trail. Lexi was babbling to Tyler about something, and though it apparently made sense to him, it was gibberish to everyone else. "Ready? Off we go!" Meredith said.

We sort of ended up in clumps while still in a big group. Iggy, Gazzy, Angel, and Nudge were together, Mom and Fang were watching Tyler and Lexi, and I was walking with Ella and Meredith.

"Are you nervous about freshman year?" Meredith asked Ella.

Ella shrugged. "A little. I mean, I won't know anyone, but I meet my roommate on Wednesday."

It was the end of August, so Ella, Meredith, and I only had one more week until the fall semester started. Ella would be living on my couch until she could move into her dorm. Iggy was heading back to school tomorrow, so I was surprised Ella was over a foot away from him.

"Ha, you have to live in a dorm. I get to live with my fabulous boyfriend," I teased. Ella shoved me.

"Mommy, look, a chipmunk!" I turned towards Lexi just in time to see a furry stripe bolt into the trees. I assured her I had seen it and turned back to Ella and Meredith.

"Yeah, but I'm thrilled," Ella continued. "I'm going to meet new people, I don't have a plan for a major yet so the options are limitless-"

"You're legally an adult so Iggy isn't a pedophile anymore," I said.

"That you know of," Iggy said, wiggling his eyebrows and dropping back to hold Ella's hand.

"Should I make Tyler walk closer to me?" Meredith teased.

"Fang's got them," I said. Hearing his name, Fang looked over and gave me a small smile.

We continued up the trail, rotating groups, watching wildlife, and only stopping for a few breaks. The only negative was the bugs, flies and mosquitoes that swarmed us like crazy. Luckily Fang, the clever man that he is, brought bug spray.

Around noon, after about an hour of hiking, we reached the waterfall. "Picnic time!" Angel said. We spread out a blanket in an area that was out of the way of the trail and away from the falls so we wouldn't get sprayed, but close enough to the falls to have a nice view and keep the bugs away.

Everyone had brought their own picnic. Lexi, Fang, and I had turkey and cheese sandwiches, pickles, and Doritos. Lexi gave Tyler half of her sandwich in exchange for half of his peanut butter and jelly one. Meredith, Ella and now Nudge were still talking about college and Iggy and the Gasman were talking about the military.

"Hey!" Fang protested as Angel smacked him.

"Cut it out, I'm trying to eat. I _am_ only twelve, you know," she said. I noticed Angel looking a little pale.

"What's wrong?" I asked. The other groups had given them a brief glance but gone back to their conversations.

"Nothing," Fang said too quickly, "I'm just…not used to having a mind reader around, that's all," he muttered. I had a funny feeling he had been thinking about a certain night in Vegas that occurred about five years ago.

_Your feeling is correct_. Angel said mentally.

I glared at Fang. "Thanks Angel," Fang said.

She shrugged and bit into her sandwich. I scooted closer to him. "Really Fang?" I said softly. "How often do you think about…that, anyway?"

Fang gave me a sheepish look. "Um, what's the highest number I can say without you hitting me?" he asked.

My eyes widened. "Fang!"

"Well, it's not my fault! You haven't given me much variety," he complained.

"Nicholas Ride, you are hopeless," I said. I shook my head but let him kiss me. Then we kissed a little more, my mouth opening just a little. Something cold got on my cheek and I squealed.

"What was that?"

Iggy laughed. "Come now Max, there are kids here!" He had brought supplies for strawberry shortcakes, and he had squirted whipped cream on my face. Before I could stop him, Fang leaned forward and _licked_ the whipped cream off of my cheek.

"_Fang_!" I shrieked, appalled. Really, _now_? In front of everyone, in front of Lexi?

I smacked him in the chest as he laughed. Ella, Iggy, and Meredith were laughing too. "Oh, shut up and give me a shortcake," I said, smiling in spite of myself.

We each had a strawberry shortcake, cleaned up, and spread out to explore. Mom and Meredith took Lexi and Tyler to look for nearby wildlife, Nudge and Gazzy started walking further up the trail, and Ella and Iggy laid down on the picnic blanket to look at the clouds together. Angel pulled a book and her iPod out of her backpack and settled against a tree.

I climbed over the rocks so I could get close to the waterfall. I spread out my arms and felt the cool spray on my skin. Fang stepped up next to me and wrapped one arm around my waist. I noticed that he was tense and his eyes were anxiously flitting around.

"Hey, are you alright?" I turned to face him and looped my index fingers through his belt loops. "I'm not really mad at you."

"I know," Fang said.

"Then why are you worried?" I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He kissed me harder, like he was afraid he wouldn't get another chance. "Hey, what's up with you?" I asked, pulling away.

Fang hesitated, his eyes locked on the water tumbling into open air. "I don't know. I've just-I've got this bad feeling. And I keep telling myself I'm being stupid, but I just can't shake it."

I kissed him again. "Chill baby. I promise it will be okay," I smiled at him.

He gave me a nervous smile. "Yeah, I'm just being paranoid," Fang said, but he didn't sound entirely convinced. We kissed again and I turned to watch the water.

After about an hour, we packed up and started down the trail again. Fang didn't leave my side and held my hand the entire time. I noticed his eyes were still darting around nervously. I soothingly rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb.

We got to the end of the trail, but I didn't want to stop just yet. I wanted more time to just breathe. It was later than we had anticipated, so the Flock, minus Ella, was going to head home. We said our goodbyes and I turned to Fang.

"I'm going to go hike for a little longer. I need some alone time," I said.

Fang tensed. "Are you sure? Alone?"

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Fang, your worry is unnecessary. I don't think anything will happen, and even if it does, I can take care of myself," I stood on tiptoe, bringing my face closer to his. "Relax," I breathed as I kissed him. I let him hold me there for a long moment, hoping to soothe his needless worry.

Fang finally left with Ella and Lexi, and I started out along a harder trail. It was about four thirty, so I would hopefully be done and back by seven at the latest.

I was about halfway up the trail when I got Fang's ominous feeling. I felt like someone was watching me. I twisted around, my eyes darting around the trees. I walked a little faster, staying very alert. The tension threatened to overwhelm me, so I turned to head back down the trail early. I had to get home to Fang and Lexi.

That was my last thought before a pinch on my hip sent me into a deep sleep.

**Fang POV:**

I paced back and forth. It was eight thirty, Max should have been back over an hour ago.

"Fang, relax," Ella said as she walked out of Lexi's room. She had just put her to sleep. "I'm sure Max is just browsing around town or something."

"Then why won't she answer her phone?" I asked. I knew something was going to happen, I knew it. "I'm going to go look for her."

"Fang, I think you're overreacting," Ella said firmly.

I looked at her. "Well, you know what? If Max is yelling at me for being overprotective, then at least I know she's okay."

I turned invisible and jumped out the window, snapping my wings open and feeling the bite of the cold air. I desperately wished that Ella was right, that Max was just window shopping or something. I didn't want her to be in danger. I flew over town but didn't see her, so I headed into the mountains. I flew over the trail she had been hiking but didn't see her, so I folded my wings and walked the way back.

I tried to call her again as I looked around, but I got her voicemail. Something sparkled in the dirt as I put my phone away, catching my attention. I reached down and picked up the promise ring I had given Max all those years ago, before Lexi. My stomach dropped. There was no way Max would have lost this.

I used my phone as a flashlight as I dug around in the trees near the trail. I pushed some fallen leaves away and found a discarded dart gun near some claw marks. No wonder there was no sign of struggle. Max had been tranquilized.

I pumped my wings as hard as I could, clutching Max's ring in my fist. Ella knew something was wrong the instant I stepped through the door. I told her what I had found and all of the color drained from her face.

"The Erasers are getting lazy, leaving evidence like a gun behind," I said, pulling said gun out my jacket.

"Actually, I bet they were using it as bait," Ella said. "They want you to come after her."

I could tell what she was going to stay next from her tone of voice. "You want me to do nothing," I stated.

Ella sighed. "I wish you could go after her, but face it, if Max knew you had risked your life to save hers and left Alexis an orphan, she wouldn't be pleased."

I frowned, but I knew she was right. "I guess."

"Look, I'll make you a deal. If Max hasn't busted herself out in ten days, we can send out a distress call to the Flock and go get her. But until then, we just need to stay calm."

I sighed. "Okay. I'm going to bed before my hair falls out."

Ella gave me a hug. "Don't worry Fang. Max is pretty capable."

I nodded and went into my bedroom. I fell asleep trying to figure out what I was going to say to Lexi.

* * *

**Okay, so that was bad, but it was a bridge chapter. That was the gate into a much longer plot thread that should last anywhere from 5-10 chapters. I'll try to update faster now that my writer's block is gone.**

**I think I have an addiction to Secondhand Serenade. I downloaded the album _A Twist In My Story_ and I can't. Stop. Listening to it. Check it out.**

**Review and remember to take a look at my other story, An Enchanted Curse, if you haven't already. I love you guys. :)**


	21. Rape

Chapter 20: Rape

**This chapter gets a bit intense. Just a fair warning.**

* * *

**Max POV:**

I ached. Every inch of me felt like jelly, and my crotch felt like someone had screwed me with a metal rod. I sat there for and endless amount of time, just in pain. Then I started to get confused. After a time of being curious, I finally wrenched my eyes open.

Cold gray walls met my stare. The floor was concrete, and a plain steel door led to what was hardly a bathroom. My mind went straight to denial. No. I couldn't be here again. Jeb had said we were safe!

Then I really started to wake up. First, I noticed that I was in a plush bed. This was a new feature, but not necessarily an unwelcome one. I shifted slightly and felt thick sheets brush on my skin.

That was when I realized I was naked. My mind reeled. Why the Hell was I naked? This was a new low, even for sex-deprived scientists. I sat up quickly, fully intending to run to the door and demand clothing, but two things stopped me. First was an awful head rush that almost sent me back into unconsciousness. The second was a voice groaning, "Geez, don't rattle the bed so much!"

My blood turned to ice. I _knew_ that voice, and it definitely wasn't one I wanted to hear in my current situation. I slowly turned and saw what I had dreaded. Dylan was lying in the bed next to me, his chest bare. I had a horrid feeling the rest of him wasn't wearing much more.

"Dylan!" I exclaimed. "What-what are you-what happened here?" I managed.

He chuckled and sat up. "What does it look like? You and I had quite," he leaned close to me, "A fun night. It's really a shame you were unconscious." Dylan reached up and brushed a strand of hair from my neck, leaning in even closer.

I smacked him as hard as I could and shot across the room, covering my bare body with my wings. My mind whirled as I tried to make sense of everything. No wonder my feminine area seemed to hurt more than the rest of me. "No. You-you're lying," I said frantically.

Dylan gave me a perfect grin and shook his head. This couldn't be happening. "What about Fang? Or Lexi?"

"They're safe at home. Unless the anxiety gives dear Fangy-poo a heart attack." Dylan's voice turned malicious, like he hoped Fang _would _drop dead of a heart attack. This did soothe me a little. Provided Dylan was telling the truth, Fang and Alexis were safe at home. Of course, I had no reason to believe him.

"Why?" I asked. "Where have you been? What do you want from me now? And why did you leave the Flock?"

Dylan sat back. I remained where I was, still using my wings to hide my naked frame. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but I guess you're not going anywhere," he chuckled.

"I'll start with your last question first. Why did I leave the Flock? It's simple. They were betraying you."

"Betraying me?" I cut in. "Dylan, I've talked to them, and I'm proud of them for moving on without us. They didn't betray me!"

"Don't interrupt!" Dylan snarled. "They were betraying you! They should have gone to find you, brought you back where you belonged!"

"I belong with Fang!" I snapped.

"NO, YOU BELONG WITH ME!" Dylan shouted. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and looked at me again. "I was made for you Max. We were meant to be together. I'm perfect for you! That's why I came back here when I left. I hoped they could bring you back to me."

I frowned. "Dylan, that's an old script, a broken record. I don't believe it. Fang and I were a match made in Heaven, you and I were a match made in a lab. I hate to break it to you, but Heaven is stronger. Honestly, I think the only reason they made you was the scientists realized that if Fang and I got together, that would be one thing about my life they couldn't control."

"Regardless!" Dylan said. "You should have stayed with the Flock and listened to Dr. Gunther-Hagen. It would have been better that way. Your life would be going as planned."

"As planned?" I asked. Really? He thought he could convince me by telling me that if I had stayed, the scientists would have been pleased with me? "You think it matters to me if my life was moving according to their plan?"

"I don't know. But they still need you. You are the most fertile of all the human-avian experiments. That was truly the way you were going to save the world. You're the mother of a new race, Max. Fang and Lexi will be exterminated soon, within the year I would imagine. Then you and I will parent a new race and save the world," Dylan finished.

"What's wrong with Alexis?" I asked, curious. "She's my daughter, so won't her children have bird genes as well?"

"You are meant to start a new race with _me_," Dylan repeated. "She's Fang's child, therefore she is wrong. And Fang must be killed to eliminate the possibility of you having children with anyone else."

"You're sick and twisted." I spat. "And all of the children would have to have two bird-human parents for it to work properly, right? What happens to our kids if they 'mate' with pure humans?"

"They won't," Dylan said. "The first several generations will be living in a camp near Germany, near our house. They will only breed with each other, and once there's enough of them, they will go into the world. It is a project we may never see the completion of, but we can trust our kids will save the world."

I glared. "But you forgot a vital point. I refuse to have kids with you."

"Really Max? You think I don't know that? That's why I f***ed you while you were unconscious. Now that I've told you, you have two options. You can have kids with me willingly, or you can have them anyway. I'm stronger than you Max, and I'll do whatever it takes to do this," Dylan said.

My brain was still frazzled. This was a very different Dylan than the lovesick one that showed up to our campfire all those years ago. But I remained defiant. I lifted my chin and looked him in the eye. "I won't betray Fang. F*** you and your 'new race'."

Dylan's eyes narrowed and he got out of bed. My previous thoughts were correct, and he was as dressed as I was. He walked over and grabbed my wrists, pinning me to the wall. I was helpless and uncomfortable.

"Really Max? Admit it, you want my body. Any woman would."

I closed my eyes and turned my head away. Dylan's body was indeed perfection, as though carved by an ancient sculptor, but it didn't matter. I pictured Fang, his smoldering eyes and cute frown and warm lips. His body was perfect too. The difference was, I truly loved Fang, and I couldn't betray him that way. He must be worried sick, whether he was at home or in the next cell over.

"No. I won't Dylan. I won't have sex with you," I said flatly. To prove it, I opened my eyes and looked straight at him.

I saw his ocean eyes darken. "You mean you won't have sex with me willingly. That's okay," he started kissing down my body, still pinning me to the wall, "I like it rough anyway."

Then he started to move against me. I flailed my wings and kicked at him, but he pinned my legs and wings to the wall with his own.

"Stop it! Dylan, stop, please!" I shrieked. He ignored me and took what he wanted. It was awful and painful, nothing like the way it had been with Fang. He left the cell when he was done, still naked, and told me food would come in a few hours.

I lay on the floor in pain and possibly bleeding. I didn't care that I was sobbing. Fang, oh Fang, I'm so sorry. I didn't want this.

**Fang POV:**

I was worried sick. It had only been three days since Max vanished, a week until I could go for her, but I was a wreck. Lexi thought her mom had decided to sneak off for one last vacation before she headed back to college. It was the best excuse I could come up with.

Now, I know you're all wondering why I even bothered to wait, right? Well, it can be summed up with one word. Lexi. Well, that's a name, but still. Ella was right. What if I went to get Max and neither of us came back? If Max knew I had risked leaving Alexis an orphan, even if it was to save Max herself, she would hate me.

Really, ten days was only a short time, but it felt like an eternity to me. This wasn't supposed to happen anymore. We were supposed to be safe. What could they possibly be doing with Max? Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought that, if they were going to kidnap one of us, they would have kidnapped Lexi.

I needed Max home. I needed her chocolaty eyes to light up when they saw me, I needed her to smack me and tell me I was being perverted, and I needed her body to tempt me. My chest hurt and I had nothing to do during the day when I wasn't working except worry.

Ella was doing her best to soothe me, but there wasn't much she could do. Until Max came back or we rescued her, I knew I would be inconsolable. Baby, honey, stay strong for me, wherever you are. I need you.

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**Dun-dun-dun. And that was a pretty quick update, in my opinion, so I'm proud of myself. :)**


	22. Escape Plan

Chapter 21: Escape Plan

**Sorry for the wait! I was busy with projects and new classes this week. Sadly, my cruise was cancelled, but I guess that's good for you guys because otherwise I wouldn't be updating right now.**

**Disclaimer: I haven't done this in a while, but I still don't own Maximum Ride.**

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**Max POV:**

I think I've been here for seven days. I've been served twenty meals, and I was basing my clock off of three-meal days. Maybe that just means I've been in the School for twenty days. I don't care. I hurt too much for that.

Day after day Dylan would come in and do those things. He hadn't come yesterday though, and it was a welcome reprieve. I was still naked, and I doubted the soreness will ever leave my body. I missed Fang. I missed him being all horny and annoying, and those moments when he would be sweet for me and Lexi.

I couldn't even come up with an escape plan. I didn't know if Fang was coming or already here, trapped. I barely cared anymore. I was rarely able to think coherently about anything but pain and food. They didn't even run experiments. Just left me in here between "sessions" with Dylan.

So far Dylan hadn't come today either, but he usually came before meal three. I ate my second meal of the day and curled up in the bed, waiting. I think I slept. Maybe I just sat there and stared at the wall for hours on end. I couldn't tell or remember.

A scientist came in with more food. "Is-is Dylan not coming?" I asked warily.

The male scientist raised one eyebrow. "Do you miss him? It wasn't scheduled, but-"

"No, no!" I cried, "I'm glad for the break."

He set the food down. "If you were compliant, I'm sure he would be more gentle," the scientist said.

I grabbed the bread from the try and chewed it hungrily. It was actually good, not stale or anything, but it was hardly enough to count as real sustenance. "I can't be compliant. I have a boyfriend."

The scientist glared. "We are giving you a few days off to recover. We can't have you dying on us. You should already be pregnant, but we can't be sure yet."

I don't know what it was. Maybe it was the reality that I might be pregnant with Dylan's child, or maybe it was that the scientist took that moment to check me out, running his eyes over my bare frame. Whatever happened, I turned animal.

I barreled towards the scientist, snapping out my wings and forcing open the door. I heard him call for help, and the guards at either end of the hall came in towards me. I lashed out blindly, flailing all six of my limbs and managing to squeeze out and run to the end of the hallway. I turned a corner and ran, heading for a window or something. I fought off more guards, then something hit my hip. A tranquilizer dart.

_No._ I thought._ No, I have to get out. Fang…._ But my world went black all the same.

* * *

I woke up in a different cell. This one was bare except for a toilet in the corner. No bed and no shower. One movement and the soreness of my hips told me that Dylan had gotten me again while I slept.

"You're awake." Speak of the devil.

I turned to him groggily. "What-where…?" I mumbled.

Dylan uncrossed his arms. He was in khaki slacks and shirtless. "You didn't cooperate in the luxury cell, so you got put in a normal holding cell. Try something like that again, and you'll be put in a cell with no toilet and one piece of bread a day. And no more break. I'll be back tomorrow."

Dylan turned and walked out. Some time later, a female scientist brought me a peanut-butter sandwich. "Here," she murmured. "I wasn't supposed to bring you anything, but you look starved."

I looked at her warily. Why would a scientist do something like that for me?

"I'm sorry it's not more. This was all I could bring and keep hidden," she also pulled out a Capri-Sun juice box. I caved. I took the sandwich and inhaled the juice in less than a minute.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

She smiled. "I'm Dr. Arlim. I brought something else too," Dr. Arlim handed me a map of the School. "I want to help you get out. I've been one of the scientists in charge of surveying you and your Flock for years. I think I've become a little fond of you."

I contemplated for a moment. "The cell has a camera. Won't we get caught? Unless they already know," I said suspiciously.

"I put the camera on a loop of you huddled in the corner. Don't worry. So, do you want my help?" Dr. Arlim asked, pushing her jet-black hair behind her ears.

"I guess," I said hesitantly. "I mean, I either get out, or I die. Either seems like a better alternative at this point."

"Not quite the outlook I was hoping for, but okay," the scientist said.

* * *

**Dr. Arlim POV:**

I watched Max in her cell, crying. She would escape today. I had several other scientists and even a few Erasers on my side. Still, three-fourths of the School would be running against us. I had a plan, and it wasn't really all that complex. But I won't tell you what it is quite yet.

For nine days Max had been here, being tortured. I had been watching her since she was fifteen, and I really had grown fond of her. My friend was in charge of monitoring Fang, and he said Fang was just about to pull his hair out. That's why Max had to get out today, because Fang would be getting ready to leave tomorrow, and Max needed to be home to stop him.

I looked at my watch and took a deep breath. Time to start. I nodded to two Erasers waiting behind the surveillance wall. They stepped outside and started walking to Max's cell. For this to work right, Max didn't know what was happening. However, I knew her well, and I knew she would be able to act right when the time came.

After a few minutes I heard her shouting. "Hands off bastards! I was fine in my cell. Get your filthy paws away!"

"Shut up!" The Eraser named Aaron barked. "Dr. Arlim has some experiments to run."

I saw Max's eyes glow with understanding, but she continued to struggle. No need to draw suspicion.

Max was dragged to a maze room, where experiments were forced to run through an ever-changing maze and were timed on their speed and logic. They set her down and stood in front of the door. I stepped away from the desk and headed down the hall to meet her.

I stood in front of her. "Max, I think it's time to start testing your physical and mental strength again. You may be the mother of a new race, but you are not meant to be a housewife."

I walked over and attached an electric cuff to her ankle so it would shock her when she went the wrong way. Max's jaw tightened, but she didn't protest. "Okay. Start running in three…two…one!"

I pushed a button to open the door and watched her sprint into the maze. Screw the consequences. A few Erasers and I had built an escape hatch in one of the maze patterns a few months back. I had set the maze to lead Max right to it. The guards outside were my friends, so they would mysteriously neglect to see max escape. Godspeed Max. You'll need it.

**Max POV:**

I ran into the maze. I really hope this wasn't a trick, because I honestly didn't know how much more I could take.

_Alexis. Fang. You have to keep going Max._ I told myself as I received my third shock. _You have to get back for them. They're at home, worried out of their minds. Go, go, go!_

I chanted encouragements to myself as I ran. Then I met a dead end. I turned to run back, but I got shocked. What the Hell? I cautiously examined the dead end. I looked down, and my raptor vision found the faint outline of a square on the ground. I reached down and touched it, and it vanished, folding up and pulling away.

I was looking into a dirt tunnel. I didn't question it. This was either a way out, or my new cell. I slid down into the dirt. Dr. Arlim had finally brought me a small cream-colored nightdress this morning. It was formless and unflattering, but it was better than being naked.

I noticed the door shut behind me, but it was still dimly lit and I could see better with my enhanced night vision anyway. I could smell fresh air from down the tunnel, so I headed that way. When in doubt, always follow your nose.

The tunnel had to have been about a mile long. There were small openings about every hundred feet for light and air, but the tunnel kept going, so I kept following. After I had been shuffling along for about an hour, I reached a large gap. I crawled out and found myself outside the Eraser guard motioned for me to get going, and quickly. I guess he was one of Dr. Arlim's friends.

My wings started feeling numb about halfway home. Now the adrenaline was gone, and my body seemed to realize that I hadn't eaten or slept right in over a week. And I was still sore.

Suddenly, I put on a burst of speed, using my hyper-drive. I crashed violently into a tree-covered outcropping. I didn't recognize it entirely, but I had a feeling it was near where I wanted to go.

_Fang...Lexi...I'll be home soon...but now...I need...to rest..._

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**LOL, Lord of the Rings quote.**

**Review? I can't promise a time on my updates, but I do promise they will be as fast as I can manage. And you know what encourages me to write faster? Reviews! Speaking of which, I can't tell you how thankful I am for all of the reviews I have already gotten. I really do love you guys. :)**


	23. Hold Me: Revised

Chapter 22: Hold Me

**Hey! So I rewrote this chapter to make it not awful, so if you already read it, please read it again. It will be much more enjoyable this time. I added about 600-ish words to it, so...**

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**Fang POV:**

Tomorrow. Tomorrow we would go after Max. We had already told the Flock she was gone, and they were on their way. When Lexi refused to stop asking, I had finally cracked and told her that her mommy had been taken by the "bad people". She had, of course, freaked out, and it had taken me a few hours to calm her down.

Right now I was carrying my daughter to her training cliff for flying practice. It would calm her down, and flying would help clear my mind as well. I landed and tucked my wings in, setting Alexis down. Then I frowned. What the Hell had happened here?

There was a huge mess of broken branches at the treeline, but they were high up, like something had crashed into them from above. I walked over to examine them and noticed several long brown feathers caught in the branches. My heartbeat sped up. Could it be?

"Daddy?" Lexi called. "What are you doing?"

"Just a moment sweetie. I need you to stay right there," I replied, pushing branches aside and moving deeper into the trees. I poked around a bit and noticed a long, bruised leg poking out from under a pile of branches. Oh God.

I pulled the branches away to reveal an unconscious Max wearing only a pale yellow nightgown. I inhaled sharply. Her chest was rising and falling, but barely. Her nightgown was bunched up at her stomach on the left, revealing that she had no underwear on. In any other circumstance, that would have been sexy as Hell, but now it just revealed the bruises and dried blood around her hips and thighs. I bit my lip. I couldn't let Lexi see her mother like this.

"I'll be right back sweetheart," I whispered to Max. "Lexi, we need to go," I said. She started to protest, but I turned fiercely and said, "Alexis, we're _leaving_."

She stopped whining and let me fly her home. I put her on the couch and called Ella. "Ella, I found Max," I said quickly.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Ella replied without hesitation. I paced back and forth, biting my nails and feeling my legs shake. What if Max wasn't okay? What the Hell had they done to her to make her look like that?

I heard a knock on the door and ran over, opening it to a stressed-looking Ella. "Fang," she said, "What happened?"

I pulled her into our room and explained in hushed tones. "I took Lexi out for flying practice to distract her from the whole Max thing, and I found Max passed out in the shrubbery. It looked like she had crash landed."

Ella's eyes widened. "Did Lexi see?"

I shook my head. "Alright, I'll keep her busy while you go get Max," Ella said. "Just bring her through your window."

I nodded and jumped out into open air, turning invisible just before I did. I flew at top speed, reaching the spot where Max was in less than five minutes. I landed and folded my wings. "Max?" I whispered. No response, not that I expected one.

Max hadn't moved at all, and her breathing seemed even lighter. I had to struggle to keep calm. "Oh Max, baby, not now," I murmured, picking her up gently bridal style. "I just found you. Don't leave me." I kissed her forehead and took off again.

Max stirred slightly as I was flying. I was going slower than I had on the way there, just enough to not jostle Max. "Mphmrn," she mumbled. She looked very pale, and I suspected she was having a nightmare.

"Shh, shh, shh," I kissed her ear. "Almost home baby, almost home."

I turned us invisible as we neared civilization. I pulled in my wings and gently crawled in the window. Ella was waiting on the bed, looking nervous. "Where's Lexi?" I asked, becoming visible again.

"Luckily Tyler came over and wanted to play. Meredith took them down to the park." I set Max down on the bed and Ella gasped. "Oh my God. What _happened_ to her?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "I've never seen injuries like that from any experiment they've done on us before."

"And she has something on her ankle," Ella added, lightly touching a metal band on Max's leg.

"That I recognize," I said. "They used those to electrocute us when we went the wrong way in maze tests."

"Like rats? That's awful," Ella murmured. She reached over and stroked some hair away from Max's face. "We should get her some water. Mom taught me how to feed people and stuff if they're unconscious or dehydrated." I nodded.

Ella left and I sat next to Max, pulling up her nightgown again. No, I was not taking advantage of her like some awful pervert. As I said, nothing about Max's current physical situation was even remotely hot. She looked underfed and she had bruises that were so close together it was just one big mass of purple, blue, and yellow. Blood was caked on her inner thighs, and some had dripped down around her ankles.

"In any other situation, I'd accuse you of molesting her, but she just looks awful," Ella said, startling me. She was carrying a bowl of warm soup in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "Okay, we can't give Max too much at once or she won't digest it right. You hold her up and I'll give her some water and food a little bit at a time."

Ella gently spooned broth and tipped small sips of water into her mouth as I held my girlfriend and stroked her hair. Ella gave Max the whole glass of water and about half of the broth before taking them back to the kitchen. I continued to hold Max, gently kissing her hair and forehead. I loved her so, so much. If she didn't wake up….

"She'll be fine Fang," Ella said, coming back in and rubbing my shoulder. She had another half glass of water for Max, which she gave to her the same way as before. "Now that we can take care of her, I'm sure she'll recover." I nodded, still nervous. I trusted Ella and knew she was probably right, but I also knew that I wouldn't be able to rest until I saw Max's beautiful eyes and heard her voice.

Ella left to call the Flock and tell them Max was okay while I stayed on my bed. I went into the bathroom and got a washcloth, which I soaked in water and wrung out. Then I went back into our room and used the damp rag to clear away some of the blood from Max's face and the more modest parts of her legs. She could take a full shower when she woke up.

I sat down next to Max with a book and decided to read until she regained consciousness. Less than ten minutes later, I heard Max moan and roll over. "Fang?" Max whispered, her voice still raspy. She looked highly disoriented.

"Yeah," I murmured, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Yeah, I'm here," I assured her.

"Fang!" She moaned again, trying to sit up on her own. "Fang, ohhh."

"Don't," I murmured, reaching over and settling her back against the pillows. Max adjusted herself so she was lying on her side rather than her stomach and gave me a dazed look. "We're safe? And Alexis?"

I nodded, moving over so I could wrap my arm around her shoulders. "Meredith took Lexi and Tyler to the park so Lexi wouldn't see you like this. Speaking of which, what did they do to you? I haven't seen that kind of injury before."

Max's jaw tightened and I saw panic flash across her eyes. Then it was replaced with forced humor. "How would you know the extent of my injuries? You were looking under my dress, weren't you? Creeper."

I could tell she was avoiding my question. "Yes Max, I did look under your nightgown, but only out of concern. You look like shit. Now what happened to you?"

Max frowned. "Can we please not talk about it right now? I just want you to hold me." So hold her I did. I wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to my chest. I gently put one hand under her chin and tilted her head up enough to kiss her.

Max tasted like blood and chicken noodle soup. It was an interesting combination, but I didn't care. My beloved Max was back home again, safe and sound. The kiss wasn't over the top or anything, just us pressing our lips together in a show of love, not lust.

"Fang? I-oh!" I heard Ella's voice from the door. Max and I pulled apart and I turned to her. I raised one eyebrow to ask what she needed. "Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I called the Flock and they're all headed back home and are glad Max is safe. I'm going to head back to my dorm now if you've got everything here under control."

"Okay. Bye Ella, and thank you," Max said. Ella grinned at her sister and closed the door.

Max got up shakily and headed over to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower and eat some real food."

"Then you have to tell me what happened to you," I said sternly. Max froze again in the doorway between our room and the bathroom, but I couldn't see her face. Then she closed the door without a word. She came back a moment later.

"Fang, can you help me get this ankle thing off? I don't want it to electrocute me." I nodded and went to get the hammer we kept in the laundry room. Max stretched out her leg, wincing slightly from stiffness. I made sure my aim was sound, then I smashed the anklet. I picked up the pieces and buried them in the trash as Max got in the shower.

I heard a knock on the door. Lexi came inside and I explained to Meredith that Max was back, and she was safe. Meredith looked relieved and assured me that she would tell Tyler that Miss Max was home.

I went inside and got Lexi a snack, then turned on the Disney Channel for her to watch. Max came out about twenty minutes later, wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with a very modest neckline. I knew she was trying to cover up as many bruises as possible.

"MOMMY!" Lexi shrieked, bolting over and grabbing Max's legs in a tight bear hug. Max smiled.

"Hey baby. Are you okay? Did you behave for Daddy while I was gone?" Max picked Lexi up and kissed her forehead.

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, I didn't know where you were and Daddy said you was on vacation but you didn't come home so Daddy said the bad people hads you," Lexi buried her face in her mother's shoulder and started sobbing. "I missed you Mommy. I was scared you wasn't gonna come home!"

"Oh Alexis," Max murmured, sitting down on the couch and stroking her baby's hair. "It's okay. I'm home now, and you, me, and Daddy will be happy together again."

I sat down next Max and held the two most important females in my life. "Don't worry Lexi we're all safe now."

Later that night, after we put Lexi to bed, Max and I snuggled up in our bed and talked. "I guess I'll just go start my classes on Monday. I'll just have to explain that something came up and I couldn't start this week." Today was Thursday, and Max was talking about heading back to college. She was majoring in some business field, hoping to be able to find a real job when she graduated.

I nodded. "If you feel comfortable with that. Just keep either Ella or Meredith or someone with you at all times, so you don't get hurt again." Max kissed my jaw and said she would. I took a deep breath. "Max…I know this is obviously a bad topic for you, but…what exactly happened to you at the School?"

Max frowned. "Does it really matter? All that counts is that I'm home and we're a safe, happy family again."

"Max, your reluctance is only makingmore curious. What happened?" She stayed silent, and I turned her head to face me. "Look, I know it's awful, but you've always told me everything. I'm here for you Max, no matter what you say."

That changed Max's whole demeanor. Her nervous shell melted off and her eyes filled up. "I-oh Fang!" Max started sobbing, burying her face in my chest. I held her close, letting her know I was supporting her. "Fang, I-I swear I didn't…Dylan was there, and he was going on and on about…and I told him no, but he was so much stronger, and, he-he-" Max broke off, shuddering.

Then it all clicked together. The bruises, the blood on her thighs, Dylan…my blood started to boil. "That asshole raped you," I said through gritted teeth.

Max nodded and continued to sob. "Fang, I'm so, so sorry. I swear to God I didn't want to, but he-"

"Shh, I believe you Max," I kissed her head again. "But that bastard is _dead_." I was already contemplating ways to find Dylan and kill him.

"Promise me you won't go after him," Max murmured. I didn't respond, unsure if it was something I could promise. "Fang, please," Max said. "I need you here, and Lexi needs you here," I still stayed silent. "I'll make you a deal. If you stay here, then if he ever comes after us, you have my full permission to tear his balls off. Agreed?"

"Agreed," I murmured.

"And don't tell anyone else. I'll tell the rest of the Flock eventually, but for now…."

"I understand," I murmured. We were quiet for a few moments until maxx gave me a request.

"Hold me?" Max asked. "I-I'll probably have nightmares tonight, but maybe knowing you're there will help. Just wake me up if I start panicking."

"Of course," I said. "I'm always here for you Max. I have nothing to do but keep you and Alexis safe."

"I know," Max whispered sleepily, "That's why I love you."

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**Sorry, but I reread this chapter and thought it was just awful, so I extended it and made it much better. I think anyone who read the original version would agree.**

**I have to thank you guys for not only sticking with me while my computer was broken, but for all of the reviews this story has gotten. 370+ reviews for just over twenty chapters? Amazing. I can't promise anything about updates except that they **_**will**_** happen. I won't ever cancel my stories, and I thank you guys for sitting through the hiatus. I still have school and stuff though, so no promises, but hit the happy little alert button down there to keep up with what's happening. And while your at it, hit the "favorite" and "review" buttons as well. ;)**

**Oh, and this story's birthday was February 4th, so happy birthday What Happens In Vegas! Wow, a whole year of writing this fanfic...**

**Don't forget to check out my other story, An Enchanted Curse, because that's where my next update will be! For real this time. ;)**

**~BirdKidKirby**


	24. Breaking Threads

Chapter 23: Breaking Threads

**Fang POV:**

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked again.

"Fang, I will be _fine_. Now go enjoy yourself. You've earned some time off. As long," Max stepped closer and grabbed my collar. "As you are responsible and faithful." She stood on tiptoe to kiss me.

Iggy and I were going out of town for the weekend for some guy time. It had been a month since the whole incident with the School, and I wasn't too keen on leaving Max alone. If Dylan came back….

"Fang," Max repeated, "I'll be okay. Ella's going to be staying with me, and I'll make sure I'm never alone. Go have fun."

"Okay," I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to relax completely until I was back. "I'll see you Sunday afternoon."

Max smiled and headed back into the apartment. I picked up my black duffel bag and went outside. Then I turned invisible and shot off into the sky. I was meeting Iggy in Denver.

"Hey man. How are you?" Iggy asked when I arrived.

I sighed and pushed one hand through my hair. "Not good. I'm still stressing about Max." We stepped up in line and paid for our plane tickets. Iggy and I were going to Boston by plane. We already had tickets to a Red Sox game and Iggy promised he had a few other "events" planned. I had no idea what he meant, but I had promised Ella that I would keep him in check.

"Why?" He responded to my earlier answer. "She's home now. She's recovering. You've got to chill. It's not like she's never been hurt by the School before."

"I know. But she's never-I mean, with the whole family dynamic and stuff it just makes me much more worried," I said. I had almost spilled about the whole rape thing before I remembered that Iggy didn't know and Max wanted to keep it that way.

Iggy shrugged. "I guess I can't talk then. Just remember, mother or not, Max will never be a total marshmallow. She can take care of herself, as I'm sure she's told you."

"Yeah," I said with a sheepish smile. Twenty minutes later, we boarded our flight. I did my best to relax and sleep on the way there, and I actually managed to catch a few winks. When we landed it was dinner time according to their clocks, but our bodies were still two hours behind, so we decided to check in to our hotel before we ate.

We weren't staying anywhere fancy, just the Hampton Inn. We each claimed a double bed (I got the one near the window) and headed downstairs. Iggy nudged me as we sat down at a burger restaurant.

"Relax. Max and Lexi will be fine. Ella's got it under control," Iggy assured me. "It's two days of relaxation. It can't hurt."

I gave him a small smile. "I guess I do need a break. Thanks."

Iggy smirked. "You can repay me by reading me the menu and recommending stuff."

I smirked. "You know what Igster, they've got a lot of good-looking burgers here, but I'm just going to get you a salad. Maybe the carrots will help your eyes."

Iggy glared at me. "Read me some real choices, dumbass." I chuckled.

**Max POV:**

I sat down on the couch after my last class of the day. My shoulders ached from tension. My eyes never stopped flicking back and forth. I would never admit it, but I was scared to death without Fang here. Now you're probably wondering why, if I needed Fang so much, I let him leave, even encouraged him. It was because he needed a break. I figured that, since he was sacrificing so much time for Lexi and me, I could sacrifice three days so he could have some guy time.

"Max?" Ella came into the room as Meredith left to pick up Lexi and Tyler for school.

"The one and only," I said with a roll of my eyes.

Ella grinned then came and sat down next to me. "Are you okay? Your shoulders are crazy tense." I shrugged. "You're stressing without him here, aren't you?" I looked at her then gave a tiny nod. "Then why did you let him leave? Fang would have stayed here with you if you had asked."

"Because," I said, tired, "He's given up so much for me. I figured the least I could do was give up one weekend for him to enjoy himself."

Ella smiled. "That's very valiant of you, but if you're this scared, maybe he should have stayed. I can call him, if you'd like."

"No!" I blurted. "If you call Fang he'll come rushing home. He comes back the day after tomorrow. I can wait that long."

Ella gave me a skeptical look, but then Meredith came in with Lexi and Tyler, so we dropped it.

Meredith, Ella, and I took Lexi and Tyler to the park for a few hours then ate dinner at Chili's. When we went home, Lexi grabbed the bottom of my shirt. "Mommy can I spend the night with Tywer pleeeeeeeeeeease?' She begged. I looked over at Meredith, who nodded.

"Okay sweetheart. Come inside and put on your pajamas, then you can go across the hall." Lexi clapped and cheered.

Meredith laughed and said, "Just send her over when she's ready." She put one hand on Tyler's back and led him into their apartment. Fifteen minutes later, Lexi ran over there in her pink Hello Kitty nightgown with Peter the Penguin tucked under her arm.

Ella and I decided to rent _Bridesmaids_ and eat ice cream. I ate an entire carton of chocolate ice cream by myself. "Max, are you sure you're okay?" Ella asked as I walked to my room. She was sleeping on the couch.

"I'm fine." _I think_, I added mentally. I went into my room and curled up under my covers. My room felt empty and menacing without Fang's warm arms around me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, giving a futile attempt to relax.

I managed to reach a hazy sort of half-sleep. It was late, almost two in the morning. I simply imagined Fang stroking my hair, kissing my neck, embracing me and keeping me safe. Then I felt a sharp prick on my neck. An imaginary love bite?

No, this was real. My eyes flew open and my throat felt like it was filling with sand. I rolled over and found my self looking into cerulean blue eyes that were full of malice. Dylan. I opened my mouth and tried to shriek, but my voice didn't work.

"Don't bother," Dylan murmured softly. "I injected you with a serum that freezes your vocal chords." He held up an empty syringe. "We wouldn't want you alerting Ella to our activities, now would we?"

My eyes widened and I looked around, trying to understand how he got in. "Wondering how I got here?" He guessed. "I snuck in while you and your little friends were at the park. I hid under the bed until I had a good chance to strike."

Dylan moved so he was on top of me. "Now," he whispered, "I'm going to offer again. You can come with me willingly and leave your little family behind and have a happy, beautiful life in Germany with me, or I can give you another little taste of the same treatment you got at the School. Which will it be?"

I felt my heartbeat speed up and I shook my head violently. My body was already locking up in dread, and I had a sudden, vivid flashback of Dylan doing things to me at the School. I tried to beat him off and get help, but Dylan held me down and gave me another injection. This one was in my hip, and it made my limbs turn into jelly.

"That should keep you subdued. I can't have you unconscious and missing out on this experience, now can I?" Dylan hissed.

I did my best to flail away, but it was no use. Dylan pulled away both my clothes and his and did it just so it would hurt, but Ella wouldn't wake up. I felt tears streaming down my face and the world around me blurred. Dylan got off of me when he was done and put his clothes back on. Then he silently flew out the window.

The moments that followed were strange and unreal. I could literally feel the threads of my sanity snapping. The pale green walls and open window of my room turned into cold concrete, and suddenly I wasn't at home. I was at the School, where I had been for days, waiting for Fang to come get me out.

I was trapped.

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**I don't know if it was entirely clear there at the end, so to clarify, Max lost her mind and is in a sort of a memory-prison. It will all be explained in the next chapter.**

**Can we maybe try for 400 reviews? That would be so awesome. I love you guys, I really do.**

**PS: I'm planning on changing my username after I update An Enchanted Curse. I fihured that a new year deserved a new name. Next I update this story I will most likely be _TotallyTeamJem_.**


	25. Cracked

Chapter 24: Cracked

_**Apparently**_** some of you didn't to read my AN at the end of the last chapter. Max is not at the School! She's in her bedroom, but she's crazy. Read on for a better explanation.**

**Disclaimer: Meh…you know it all.**

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**Ella POV:**

I woke up late. It was almost ten o'clock in the morning. I frowned. Even on Saturdays, Max liked to be up and moving before nine. I decided that she probably managed to get some sleep, and her body's clock had been thrown off. I got up and stretched. I was about to wake up Max when there was a knock on the door. Lexi was outside and Meredith was watching from across the hall.

"I'm home!" Lexi said, as if I didn't know.

"Good. And did you behave?" I asked.

Alexis nodded and Meredith said, "Yes, she was very good. Where's Max?"

"Still sleeping," I said. Meredith nodded and closed her door. Lexi went straight to the TV, where I turned on her cartoons. Then I ventured over to Max's room.

I twisted the handle, expecting it to be locked, but it wasn't. Had she forgotten? I opened it and found Max on the in a ball on the floor, staring intently at the wall. "Max?" I asked uncertainly. I made a mental note to call Fang immediately.

She whipped around, and her wings flared out. She hissed angrily. "What? What the Hell could you possibly want from me now?"

I pulled back. "Um, I was just wondering if you were hungry, I-"

Max snorted. "Oh please. The only reason you whitecoats ever bother to really feed me is when you're drugging me. Of course I'm fucking hungry."

Whitecoats? What was wrong with her? "Max, is this some kind of joke? It's me, Ella. Your little sister?"

Max looked at me warily. "I don't know what you're trying to pull. Ella would never do something like work for your stupid corporation."

I needed a new method. I pulled quickly out of the room, and heard Max bang on the door behind me a few times. What was going on with her? Her unfocused eyes had suggested that maybe Max wasn't all there. "Aunt Ella, why is Mommy yelling?" an innocent voice chimed. Crap, I had forgotten about Lexi.

"Um, she's not feeling well," I said. "In fact…."

I stepped across the hall and knocked on Meredith's door. She opened it and gave me a confused look. "Now what's up?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I am sure that Max isn't…right. I went into her room and she started shouting about scientists. I'm going to call Angel and see if she can figure out what's going on. In the meantime, can you watch Alexis again? I'm sorry." Meredith nodded. She hadn't been planning on doing anything today anyway.

I took Lexi over and explained that her Mommy was very sick, so she had to stay with Tyler today. Lexi seemed a little confused but not overly upset. I dialed Angel and told her about Max. She said she would be here in a little over an hour.

I paced back and forth, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to go ahead and call Fang. I decided not, seeing as he would most likely have a panic attack and do more harm than good.

Angel finally arrived and immediately went over to Max's door to get a good reading. She frowned. "Okay…um, it's a little blurry. I can't really tell what's going on." My heart sank. We didn't have any other options if Angel couldn't figure out what was wrong. "Ella, can you tell me what Max said again? Maybe having a lead will help."

"Uh, yeah," I wracked my brain. "She yelled at me about leaving her alone, then about how she was only fed if she was being drugged. Oh, and she called me a whitecoat."

Angel nodded, closing her eyes. "Hm…okay, so her mind is really fuzzy, like static, so I can't totally tell what's going on, but I think she thinks she's in the School."

"The School? Why does she think she's there?" I asked.

Angel shrugged, concentrating again. "I-I don't…something about Dylan? It's buried under all of the panic. I know this is weird, but I'm kind of impressed. I've never read the mind of an insane person before. It's very complex. She really believes that she's trapped. I'm guessing that's why she hasn't just left her room, because her mind is convinced it's useless."

"Hm," I said, thinking. "That's bizarre. But…well, doesn't that mean we should take her to a mental institution?"

Angel frowned. "Probably. Her mind seems pretty fixed like this, so I don't know if she'll recover." She said solemnly.

"Maybe we should just wait," I suggested. "Let's give it a few hours, and if she doesn't change, we'll take her to the hospital."

Angel shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I'm going to call Gazzy."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, this is Max we're talking about. There's no way we'll be able to get her to the hospital without a fight, insane or not. I'm sure Gazzy can whip up some sort of sleeping solution."

It made sense to me. I nervously sat down, then stood up and paced, then sat down again. I started biting my nails, which I had never done before. Angel put her hand on my shoulder. I saw threads of panic in her wide blue eyes. I took a deep breath and pulled her down next to me, wrapping her in what I hoped was a comforting hug.

"It's okay Angel. This is Max we're talking about. She'll be okay."

Angel looked up at me. "But what if she isn't? What if we've really lost her? You didn't hear it Ella…she's so trapped in there. Dylan did something, and it set her over the edge. And she has a family and all…."

My eyes widened. "Crap. What are we going to tell Fang?"

Angel looked up, reading my thoughts and sensing my dread. "Oh Ella, it's not your fault this happened to Max."

"But it is. I was supposed to watch her, and obviously they got in while I was sleeping."

Angel looked at me quizzically. "But why did you need to watch her? She's been in the School before, and she can take care of herself-or so we thought. And neither you nor Meredith is actually capable of defending her against anything from the School," she reminded me. "No offense."

I frowned. "Hm. I guess I just assumed Fang was being overprotective as usual."

Angel shrugged. "We might as well watch TV or something. I'll keep listening to Max incase she tries to leave her room."

I turned on the TV and tried to distract myself. It failed miserably, and I don't think it worked for Angel either, but it did pass the time until her brother arrived. By then, it was about four in the afternoon.

"Hey," fourteen-year-old Gazzy said, "I brought the sleep bomb. Why did you need it again?"

Angel quickly explained. Gazzy's eyes widened. "Wait, so Max is like, literally insane? I always thought she was a little crazy, but…," he shook his head.

"I know," Angel agreed. "It's awful. But who knows, maybe the sleep bomb will cure her. Maybe she just needs to rest or something."

"I still think we need to take her to the hospital though," I added, "How long is that thing going to knock her out for?"

The Gasman smirked. "If my calculations were right, it should knock her out for about three hours. And we'll need ten of those minutes to let the smoke dissipate after I set it off. And the hospital is about twenty minutes away, so we should have plenty of time."

I nodded. "Okay. And once we get to the hospital, I'll call Fang. Even if the sleeping stuff snaps her out of her insanity, I think he needs to be here, because I'm not sure exactly what happened to her at the School this time, but obviously she can't cope without Fang nearby."

Gasser frowned. "I wonder what they did to her. I mean, they've done tons of horrible things to us, but she's always shaken it off and gotten the rest of us back on our feet."

"It has something to do with Dylan," Angel said. "I'm not sure exactly what, but he's definitely involved."

"Hm," I started speculating possibilities. "Anyway, we should go ahead and get her into the hospital. Hopefully they have a room in the mental ward."

Gazzy nodded and I took him back to Max's room. I heard her mumbling to herself and cursing, vowing that she would get out. _Oh Max,_ I thought, _The only place your trapped is in your head._

"How long does it take that thing to go off?" I whispered so we wouldn't alert Max.

"Five seconds, so I'll throw it in and we have to get the heck away, or we'll fall asleep too."

He stepped up right next to the door and put one hand on the doorknob. "Three…two…one!" Gazzy quickly opened the door and chucked the bomb inside, pressing a button on the side first. We stepped back quickly and I heard a faint _thud_ as the capsule exploded.

We waited the necessary time until the smoke vanished and I cautiously stepped into the room. Max was sprawled on the floor. "Angel, does she sound any different?" I asked.

"It's blank now but still staticky. We need to take her to the hospital."

"What about her wings?" Gazzy asked. "They're showing."

I frowned. "Well, if she isn't in the right state of mind to hide them, someone will probably see them eventually. I don't want to put her in her skin suit because she would probably assume her wings were gone, and I think that would make it worse."

Gazzy and Angel nodded. "Okay. I'll carry her out to my car," I said. Angel grabbed my keys and we headed down to the parking lot. Several people gave me weird looks as they saw me carrying my sister bridal style, but I ignored them.

"Ella, don't grind your teeth," Angel piped up. "You'll hurt your jaw."

I put Max in the backseat and strapped her in. Angel sat next to her while the Gasman got shotgun. I hopped into the driver seat and started the car. "Sorry Angel, I'm just nervous."

I could see Angel looking at me in the rearview mirror. "I know. I've never been so worried. Like, I don't even know if she'll get better."

"Max is supposed to be indestructible," Gazzy whispered. "But they broke her."

My heart broke. Even though my mom had been raising them for almost five years now, I knew Angel and Gazzy would always think of Max as their mother. Mother. Oh God, how/what were we going to tell Alexis?

The rest of the drive was tense and silent. We arrived at the hospital around four forty-five. I picked up Max again and we went in.

"Hello. Oh my goodness!" The receptionist said when she saw Max passed out in my arms. Max's wings were folded up under her, so they were harder to see. "What happened to her?"

"Um," I hesitated. "We're not sure. She went crazy so we knocked her out and we were wondering if you had a room or something?"

The receptionist tilted her head. "You'll need to explain better than that sweetie. I don't understand what you mean."

I bit my lip. "Is there a mental doctor we can talk to in private. Please. I don't want to explain it here."

The receptionist looked skeptical, but she took me back into the hallway. We walked quietly with Angel and the Gasman behind us. When we arrived at the right place, the lady tapped a male doctor on the shoulder as he walked past.

"Yes?" he asked.

"This young woman needs to talk to you in private."

The doctor looked at me, or rather the unconscious Max in my arms. "What happened to her?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about," I said. "Could we talk privately?"

He looked at me for a long moment before saying, "Okay. Come with me."

He started heading back into an office. "With all due respect sir," I interrupted, "Could we get a room for her?"

He looked back at me. "Oh, of course. What kind of room?"

"Do you have padded cells?" I asked. "Secure ones? I don't want her to hurt herself or anyone else."

He frowned. "Yes. Will she wake up soon?"

I shrugged. "I think we have a few hours, but I'm tired of holding her."

The doctor led me to a sturdy-looking door with a TV monitor on the side. On the screen was an empty padded cell. "You can put her in here," he said, unlocking the door.

I walked in and set Max down in the middle of the room. "Wait, what are _those_?" the doctor asked from the doorway. Max's wings had come out and were splayed slightly behind her.

"Um, those are her wings," I said. His eyes widened. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"We have them too," Angel added from behind the doctor. She shook out her fluffy white wings and Gazzy slightly opened his gray ones. The doctor took a deep breath.

"Wait…I think I heard about you kids on the news years ago. I didn't know you guys were…I don't know, still around." His demeanor had shifted from nervous to awed.

Gazzy nodded, "Yeah, we sort of settled down."

"Okay, well, I'll lock this woman up and we can talk in an office," he said, shutting the door and locking it with a passcode. Then he scribbled something on his clipboard. We walked down the hall into a small ofiice with a few chairs, a plain desk, and a computer.

"Okay," he said, "My name is Dr. Marvel, and I suppose I'll be keeping an eye on…"

"Max," I said. "Her name is Max."

"All right," Dr. Marvel nodded and typed something into his computer. "So, what exactly is her condition?"

I let Angel explain. "Um…okay, so, when we were younger we were in this place we called 'The School'. They did all sorts of awful stuff to us there, like experiments and stuff, and that's where we got wings. Something happened to Max and now she thinks she's trapped there again."

"And you're sure of this?" the doctor asked, "How do you know?"

Angel hesitated, "Well, uh…I can kind of read minds."

Dr. Marvel's eyes widened. "Ah…so, do you know what might have caused this condition?"

We shook our heads. "I looked deep, and I know it has something to do with this guy that works for the School and was totally in love with Max. His name is Dylan," Angel explained.

Dr. Marvel nodded, scribbling on his clipboard. "Okay…does she live alone?"

"No," I answered this time. "She has a boyfriend and a four-year-old daughter. But her boyfriend is away with my boyfriend this weekend. They're in Boston, and they're supposed to come back tomorrow. I was staying with her this weekend to help her feel more secure."

"Any specific reason she needed to be watched? Was she exhibiting any unusual behavior?"

I shrugged. "Well, she was more stressed than normal. She was kidnapped and taken to the School again just a month ago. She seemed very on edge."

"Okay. Can you tell me about how she returned, and the condition she was in? The extent of her injuries?"

"Yeah," I said, "She managed to escape and fly back. Fang-that's her boyfriend-found her on an abandoned cliff near their house. He said she looked like she had crash landed. She had a lot of bruises all over her body and a lot of blood on her upper thighs and around her…area."

Dr. Marvel stopped taking notes and looked at me. "Okay, let me recap. She was taken to an extremely inhumane underground institution where an old love interest was? And she returned with a lot of blood around her crotch?"

I nodded. All of a sudden, something hit me. Oh God, hearing it like that made me realize what exactly had happened to my sister. I gasped and covered my mouth, and Angel gripped her head the way she did when she didn't want to hear something someone was thinking.

"I see we seem to have reached the same conclusion," Dr. Marvel said, setting his mouth in a grim line.

"Wait, what?" Gazzy asked. He had been so quiet I had almost forgotten he was there. "Did I miss something?"

"I believe Max was raped," Dr. Marvel said sadly.

"Oh," Gasman whispered.

"She can stay here," Dr Marvel said. "We'll monitor her behavior and we'll have to run a pregnancy test. Can you give me her full information?"

I gave him her full name and we got everything all set. "Okay, you are welcome to come in and check on her, but you'll just be looking at the TV screen to see her. If she gets dangerous or the hallucinations seem permanent after two weeks, we'll send her to the mental institution a few blocks over."

"Okay," I said, standing and holding out my hand for him to shake it. "Thank you doctor." I gave him my phone number so he could call me if there were any significant changes. We stepped out into the cool September air. I checked my watch. Five thirty.

"Now we just have the most difficult part left," Angel said, frowning.

I nodded and pulled out my phone. "Yep. Time to call Fang."

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**Finally! This chapter was waaaaay longer than I thought it was going to be. Oh well, I'm sure you guys won't complain. About the length anyway.**

**I changed my mind about changing my username. I love BirdKidKirby. (I'd make you a Kirby emoticon but side arrows don't work on FF for some reason)**

**I was in the UIL writing competition in my district and I got 4th place! That means on Friday the 20th I'll be going to the regional competition as an alternate. Fun! :)**

**Thank you guys sooo much for all of the awesome reviews. I will remind you once again that while I do love your enthusiasm, don't bother me about updates. Believe me, I _want_ to update, but I don't always have time and I don't have my own laptop, I'm on a shared computer.**

**Outro of darknees then redness then whiteness. Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off. BOOP! (If you tell me who that's from, I will love you forever. If you don't know, go find out. Furthermore, I disclaim that little thing. I didn't make it up, and it's not mine.)**

**PS. That reminds me that I have to give a shout-out to Ally, who guessed that Max would go insane when I asked you guys to spot the hint all those chapters ago. Several of you were close, but she was exact.**

**~BirdKidKirby**


	26. Freaking Out

Chapter 25: Freaking Out

**It's been a long time…I'm sorry….**

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**Fang POV:**

Iggy and I walked out of the stadium, still laughing. We had giant sodas and ate hot dogs and watched the Sox win. Tomorrow we were taking a plane back home at noon, so we were going to bed so we could head right over to the airport. Our phones and stuff were back at the room, since we wouldn't have been able to hear them during the game anyway. Iggy hadn't been able to see it, of course, but he promised he had a good time regardless.

"This was fun," I admitted, sliding my card into the door of the hotel room.

"See? I said you just needed to chill. You stress _way_ too much."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "So, in order to relax, I call dibs on first shower."

"Ugh, fine," Iggy pouted.

I soaked myself in hot water and wondered how Max was doing. I would call her when I got out of the shower. I washed my hair and let the water run down my wings until Iggy told me to hurry up. Drying myself off quickly, I pulled on an old pair of basketball shorts and a black T-shirt before brushing my teeth and stepping out of the bathroom. Iggy was flipping through the TV channels.

"Any word from the girls?" I asked.

"Oh," Iggy said, frowning, "I didn't check."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, I'll check in, go take your shower."

Iggy walked past me with his pajamas in hand. His phone was just a small flip phone because he couldn't text or anything. I, on the other hand, had an iPhone. I picked it up and turned it on. I was surprised by what I found. "Jesus Christ, seven missed calls and thirteen text messages? What the Hell does Ella need?"

Curious, I checked Iggy's phone too. Three missed calls from "Elly-bear". Blech. I sincerely hope he doesn't actually call her that. I checked my text messages before calling Ella back. My heart dropped to my feet as soon as I read the first message. They went:

_FANG? Why the fuck won't you pick up your phone?_

_Helloooo, Max is in the freaking hospital, would you maybe try to care a little?_

_Dude? Fang? What are you doing? Answer me please!_

_Tell Iggy he better pick up, this is pretty serious! What are you guys doing?_

_Hello?_

_Helloooo?_

_Anybody there?_

And so on and so forth. I selected her name on my contacts and hit "call". She picked up immediately. I started before she could. "What the Hell do you mean 'Max is in the hospital'?"

"I mean Max is in the hospital. She's in the mental ward," Ella said, sounding exhausted.

"Why?" I demanded.

"We think Dylan came back again. Did you know he raped her?"

"Yeah," I said. "Max said he raped her repeatedly."

"Well why didn't you say anything!" Ella exclaimed.

"Because Max said she didn't want me to tell anyone," I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "All right, I'm on my way."

"No," Ella said.

"What? Why?" I snapped. I was having a full panic attack at the thought of my love in the hospital.

"Because you already bought your ticket for tomorrow. Just come home on the plane and Max will be in the same place when you get here," Ella said.

"Then why were you so insistent on telling me now?" I asked, exasperated.

"Because I figured you'd be upset if you came home and found her in the hospital but I hadn't told you."

I took several deep breaths. Ella tried to calm me down. "Fang, please. Just come home normally and you and Iggy can come to my apartment and we'll go over to the hospital together, okay?" Ella said in a soothing voice.

"Okay," I muttered reluctantly. "What did you tell Alexis?"

"Um…yeah…she's at Meredith's until you get home tomorrow, so I figured maybe you could explain it to her?"

I took another deep breath. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow Ella."

"Bye Fang," Ella hung up.

I collapsed onto the bed. Of course. Of _course _she was in the hospital. Heaven forbid I get a break. I felt the prickling sensation in my eyes that meant I was close to tears. I had allowed myself time off when I should have been there to protect her. But why? Why didn't I get any time off? I was honestly surprised I didn't have any gray hair. What if Max was seriously messed up? Hadn't Ella said she was in the mental ward? What if whatever was wrong with her was permanent? How would I tell Alexis? I had so many questions swirling through my head that I didn't hear Iggy come out of the bathroom.

"Dude, are you crying? What's going on?" Iggy asked. I realize that I had actually been sobbing rather loudly, so Iggy had heard me.

"Max is in the hospital," I muttered.

Iggy's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Ella said Max was in the mental hospital because apparently Dylan came back and raped her again."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, _again_?" Iggy said, astonished. "When did it happen before?"

"The last time she was in the School," I said, sniffing. "She didn't want to freak you guys out, so she told me not to say anything."

"Oh," Iggy said quietly. "So are you going to head back or what?"

"Ella said not to," I replied. "She said to just come home on the plane like we planned, and then if we met her at her apartment she would take us over to the hospital."

"Okay. I'm going to call her myself."

I nodded. "Oh yeah," I said, remembering something, "Dude, _Elly-bear_? Seriously?"

Iggy blushed but said, "Oh yeah, I put that in there as a joke. She has something weird down for me too. Igglepus, I think?"

I shook my head. "You two…." I tried to ignore the ache in my chest.

"Yeah, I know," Iggy smiled. "She'll get better man."

"Hm?"

"Max. I mean, it's _Max_. She'll get through this somehow, as will you, and you'll get married and give Lexi tons of siblings. Don't worry."

I shrugged. "You know me dude. I'm going to worry until she's safe in my arms again, completely healed."

"And that's why you're so good for her," Iggy finished.

"Okay, I'm going to try and get some sleep now," I said.

"I'm going to call Ella," Iggy said, "Good night Fang."

"Night Igglepus," I said, cocooning myself in the blankets. However, I knew there was absolutely no way I would be able to sleep tonight when two time zones over the love of my life was sleeping in a padded cell.

_**Line!**_

"Dude, hang on, I don't know where I'm going," Iggy said as I practically sprinted off of the plane. "Fang!"

I stopped impatiently as Iggy swept his cane back and forth, making sure he wasn't hitting anyone. He had decided to just get a blind cane when he moved into the real world-it was much more convenient. However, now it was making him take forever. "Oh, just come on," I said, grabbing his wrist and dragging him to the luggage carousel.

"Someone's going to think we're a gay couple," Iggy complained.

I frowned. "Iggy, I am much more concerned about my actual relationship than whatever assumed relationship some random idiot thinks I have with you."

"Touché," Iggy muttered. We grabbed our bags and headed outside. We walked out a bit until we were sure no one would notice us fly off, then we opened our wings and shot up into the air. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't leave me behind, okay?" Iggy said from behind me.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but Iggy's blindness wasn't his fault "Fine." I fell back so my wings would brush Iggy's on every down stroke.

An hour later I was knocking on the door to Ella's apartment. She opened it. "Hey, Fang."

"Hey, what's up with Max?" I said, cutting straight to the point.

"She's in the mental ward of the hospital because she thinks she's in the School. I can explain on the way if you'd like," she looked over my shoulder, "Hey Iggy."

"Hey beautiful," Iggy said. Ella stepped around me and kissed him warmly.

"Okay, let me get my purse and jacket and I'll be ready to go." Ella stepped back inside. A moment later she stepped back into the hallway. "Alright, let's go."

As we drove to the hospital with me in the passenger seat and Iggy in the back, Ella explained about how Max had called her a whitecoat, Angel had read Max's mind to find out what was going on, and Gazzy had knocked Max out so they could take her to the hospital. I listened quietly and stared at the road flying past. This sucked.

We arrived at the hospital around five thirty. I followed Ella as she checked in with the receptionist and led us back to the hallway Max was in. Ella pointed out the room while the receptionist paged the doctor.

I could feel the physical aching in my heart when I saw Max on the screen. She was pounding her fists on the wall and I could see her mouth moving as she screamed. I could hear her voice through the door, but I couldn't make out the words. "Why can't we hear her?" I asked.

"Because I have the screen muted," an unfamiliar voice said from behind me. "Her shouts told us nothing and were disturbing the doctors, so we muted her. I'm Dr. Marvel, and I'm in charge of watching Max." He held out his hand and I shook it. "I assume that you are her boyfriend, yes?"

"Yes. I'm Fang. Ella explained how she ended up like this, but do you have any idea when she might recover?" I asked.

Dr. Marvel sighed and shrugged. "We don't know. With something like this, there isn't much we can do. We were planning to wait two weeks, and if there's no change, we'll send her down to the full mental institution. The doctors there will probably start infusing schizophrenic medication into her food and see if that has any effect. Other than that, I'm afraid there isn't much we can do."

I felt my muscles tense and I put my head against the wall. "Fang-" Ella began.

"Don't," I hissed. "How could you let this happen? You were supposed to watch her!" I spun around, advancing angrily.

Iggy stepped in front of his girlfriend, "Fang, this is not her fault. Don't you dare blame her. What could she have done Fang? If Dylan could overpower Max, he would have killed Ella, perhaps literally."

My anger immediately blew away, and I felt like someone had just dropped the weight of the world onto my shoulders. "I know," I whispered. I backed up against the wall and slid down the floor. "I know."

I felt tears start running down my cheeks. The doctor left to give us a moment in peace. Ella came over and sat beside me, putting one soft hand on my shoulder. "Fang, I don't think I know how to say anything that will make you feel better, but I'm always nearby. I know I'm not Max, not even close, but I can help you take care of Alexis while Max is…away, and I'm sure Meredith will help too."

"Yeah, man," Iggy said, "We've always got all sorts of food leftover from our cooking classes, and if it isn't something that spoils quickly I could always send you some."

I gave a small grimace. "Thanks guys. Does the rest of the Flock know?"

Ella nodded. "Yeah, Angel told them."

I nodded again. "Alright, I guess we better go get Alexis then."

"Okay. I wish I could stay and help, but…," Iggy trailed off.

"I know, you've got school," I said. "Thanks for the fun trip man, I did have a good time until now."

Iggy gave a humorless laugh. "Oh please, if it weren't for that trip, Max would still be okay."

I shook my head, "Really Iggy, the fact of the matter is this is the School we're dealing with. I think they would have gotten her again eventually." I stood up and gave him a quick man-hug, and Iggy left.

"Okay, let's go to Meredith's," Ella said. We headed out to her car and drove home in silence.

I knocked on the door when we got upstairs. "Meredith? It's Fang."

She opened the door. "Hey Fang," she looked me over cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"No," I said, "But Lexi needs to come home, and I need to try and explain this to her."

"Okay,' Meredith said sympathetically, "But if you ever need some time to yourself or anything, just let me know. I'd be happy to watch Lexi for a few hours if I'm home."

"Thank you," I said. "Lexi! Time to go home!" I called.

"Daddy!" she cried, running over and grabbing my legs, "You're home!" It made my chest ache, how innocent she was.

"Yeah, and now it's time for you to be home too," I said, picking her up. "Thanks again Meredith."

"Anytime," she said.

I turned to Ella, "And thank you to Ella."

"No problem," she said, "Just call if you need anything, and I'll be right over." We hugged tightly and she left.

"Bye Aunt Ella!" Lexi called. Ella called bye back.

I walked in the door and made Lexi some chicken nuggets, both trying to put her in a good mood and stall the moment when I would have to tell her what happened.

But of course, she was the one who brought it up. It was about eight thirty and I was getting her ready for bed when she asked, "Daddy, where's Mommy?"

I froze. Then I took a deep breath. She had to know. I turned around and picked her up, sitting down on her bed with her in my lap. "Okay, Lexi, you remember the bad people I told you about?"

Lexi gasped. "Did they get Mommy again?" she asked, terrified.

"I-no not exactly," I said, "But…well, they did something to Mommy, and now she's in the hospital."

"Is she sick?" Alexis asked.

"Uh, sort of. They…well, they sort of made Mommy crazy."

This seemed to confuse her. "But you say Mommy is crazy all the time. You is kidding."

"I know, but sweetie, she's crazy for real this time. She could hurt somebody."

"But why?" Lexi asked, "She won't hurt us, we her family!"

"Honey, that's part of the crazy," I whispered. "I don't think Mommy would recognize us, and she might hurt us because her brain doesn't now any better."

Lexi was quiet for a long moment until I heard her sniffle. "I don't want Mommy to be real crazy," Lexi muttered.

"Me neither baby, me neither," I hugged her close and resisted the urge to cry as well. "But let's get you ready for bed," I murmured. She changed into her favorite nightgown and I pulled her covers up to her chin. Lexi hugged Peter the penguin tight but didn't say anything, which sort of worried me. "Good night Alexis. I love you."

"I love you too Daddy."

I walked back to my room and spent about an hour on my laptop, then took a quick shower and decided to have an early bedtime. As I curled up alone in the bed, I suddenly felt a gripping sensation of loneliness and I really started to cry.

Alexis came in a few minutes later with her penguin under her arm and hopped up into my bed. "Daddy, you crying!" she said, surprised. "I didn't know you could cry."

I any other circumstance, I would have laughed at her naïveté, but now I just looked at her and whispered, "Yeah."

"Daddy, is Mommy going to die," Lexi asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"No sweetie, she isn't that kind of sick," I said, pulling Lexi close. I was still crying, and I felt her start sobbing too as we fell asleep like that, me clutching my baby girl like she was all I had left. Because she was.

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**Hey, I know it's been a long time, I'm sorry I can't update faster, but I'm trying my best. Tobuscus was who I was quoting at the end of the last chapter, and to all of you who knew who that was, you are awesome. I know this is short, but it's my brother's computer turn. :P I'm working on getting my own laptop though. Bear with me.**

**I love reviews, and they really do help me write better, so keep 'em coming!  
**

**~BirdKidKirby  
**


	27. Lucid

Chapter 26: Lucid

**Okay, so, my dad got a new laptop, meaning I can use his old one to write for you guys. Yay! So, I still can't promise much as far as a schedule, me being in 5 Pre-AP/AP classes and all, but I will update as often as I can.**

**You may have noticed that I changed this story's rating to M. I just thought this was better, with the way I talked about the rape and all and the way I think these next chapters will go. But no worries, there WILL NOT be any lemons in this story; the sex will be nothing more than in the prologue. I might change the rating back to T, I'm just going to see.**

**Disclaimer: Even after all this time, I do not own Maximum Ride.**

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**Fang POV:**

It had been a little over a month since Max had been put into the mental hospital. She had been moved to an official mental institution under heavy sedative. I visited her twice a week after work. Of course, they weren't _really_ visits, as Max had no idea what was going on, but I would step in and watch her for about fifteen minutes before heading home to Lexi. I'd like to think that when Max gets better she'll appreciate the fact that I was always there for her. She would probably say it was a little obsessive, but I think deep down she would find it sweet.

Jeb and Valencia had heard about Max and insisted on paying for the medical bill. I tried to say no thanks, because Max and I had never been comfortable with charity, but they had insisted. They said they felt that, since they had put Max in the School, that her insanity was their fault. I can't argue with that kind of logic.

Alexis and Tyler always went to daycare together after preschool. She often asked to come with me to see Max, but I always said no. I didn't want to scare her, and seeing Max was terrifying no matter which mood she was in. Sometimes she would be thrashing, screaming, and pounding the wall. Sometimes she just sat against the wall, looking dejected. Once she had been crying, and I turned on the screen's volume, just loud enough to hear her calling out for me. I had to leave immediately. That was the only time I had actually cried since Max had first been put in the crazy shack.

My biggest rock throughout all of this had been Ella. She came by at least once week to check on Lexi, and she would always take her to get ice cream or buy her something cute. It was a big help, having Ella to distract Lexi occasionally. I knew I was reverting back to old Fang, closed off and stoic. Ella told me that Lexi had told her that I was scaring her; she didn't like it when I was "a grumpy gills". I tried to be more relaxed around her, but it was hard to remember to smile and be relaxed when I was so tense inside.

Anyway, back to Max. She is our main character, after all. They had been infusing her food with different schizophrenic medicines for about two weeks, but there was yet to be any progress. After hearing her story, the psychologists had determined that Max had an extreme form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That seemed fairly obvious after they said it, but it was nice to know she had an official diagnosis.

The real problem? We had gotten the results of her pregnancy test back. It was positive. The doctors asked if I wanted to get her an abortion. Since Max was in no mental condition to make her own decisions, that responsibility fell to me and Dr. Martinez, but Dr. M said it was my decision. I said not yet. I didn't want Dylan's kid, of course not, but I wasn't going to kill it in cold blood. Also, I wanted to keep hope that Max would get better so she could decide on her own. If she woke up and heard that I had gotten her an abortion without her knowing...well, I didn't know what her reaction would be, but I didn't want to find out.

It was a Wednesday night when things first changed. I got a call from the hospital while I was making raviolis for Lexi. I heard the phone ring as I pulled the bowl of raviolis out of the microwave, so I set the bowl down in front of her and picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Dr. Johnson from the William Mansen Mental Institution. Is this Nicholas Ride?"

My heart sped up. Something about Max had changed. It took all of my self-control to stay professional. "Yes, this is him. Can I help you?"

"There has been a change in Maxine's condition. As of fifteen minutes ago, she is lucid. I was told to alert you immediately."

My heartbeat practically stopped all together. "Lucid…as in sane? Can I come see her?"

The doctor muttered something to someone else before responding, "Yes, you can come see her, but keep in mind that she is still unstable."

"Okay. Thank you." I hung up.

"Daddy, who was that?" Alexis asked.

"Just somebody," I responded. "I'll be back in a minute, okay baby? I'll have Miss Meredith come over and check on you."

"Why? Where you going?" she asked.

I kissed her head but didn't say anything. I knocked on Meredith's door and quietly explained what the doctor had said. She agreed to check in on Lexi and wished me good luck with Max. My phone gave a beep to tell me I had a new text message. I looked down to see that it was from Ella.

_Just got the call about Max, and I'm assuming you got it too. Want me to pick you up?_

I responded with a simple _Sure_. I looked up at Meredith. "Ella is going to come pick me up in just a minute. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Okay. Do you want Lexi to come over here?" she asked.

I shrugged, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I hated this. Alexis was over at Meredith's house almost more than she was at home. I hated asking Meredith to take care of her, because Meredith was in school and had Tyler to watch. This was why Max and I hated charity. It had shifted from a lack of trust to a normal sense of not wanting to burden others.

"Fang," she sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. "You want to know a secret?" I raised one eyebrow. "I like it when Alexis is over. Tyler is actually quieter because he has her to entertain him. I just set out some snacks and turn on the TV or set up the Wii and they're good until you show up," she said.

"But I hate…I just hate this," I muttered.

"I know," she whispered. "That's another reason I don't mind. I want things to be as easy as possible for you."

"Oh," someone said from our left. We turned and saw Ella. "You're all ready to go. I was coming to knock."

"Yeah, I was…dropping Lexi off." I frowned while I said this.

"And I was assuring him that it's no trouble," Meredith added.

Ella gave me a sympathetic look. "I know this is tough on you Fang. But hey, now we get to go see Max, and you should be able to talk to her."

"Yeah," I said, "Maybe."

"Come on," Ella said, punching me lightly in the shoulder, "Lighten up. Be positive. This is progress! Now let's go, before it gets late."

I nodded. Meredith went into my apartment to get Alexis as Ella and I headed downstairs. I was quiet for the whole drive over there, trying to keep things realistic. I wanted to be excited-for the first time in almost five weeks I would be able to talk to my Max again-but there was a chance that she would have collapsed back into her psycho-world by the time we arrived. I would rather expect the worst.

It was about seven o'clock when we arrived at the mental place. Normal visiting hours were over, but the secretary allowed us in anyway since this was an exception. Dr. Johnson, a nice woman with brown hair always pulled into a bun, led us to Max's room. My heartbeat was always fast by human standards-part of the whole bird thing-and I was pretty sure that it was going to explode from the way it kept speeding up.

Even without the sound, Max looked different. She was pacing in circles around the room, pressing her fingers and toes to the padded walls as if she didn't understand them. She was looking around, her big brown eyes calculating everything about the room, looking for an escape. Good thing there wasn't one. Even the bathroom, a separate padded room with only a toilet, wouldn't provide any help.

I didn't care about the reasons or theories or stats about Max being sane. I needed to talk to her, or I would be locked in here with her. I asked Dr. Johnson to turn the sound on. She did, and I pushed the intercom button that would allow me to talk to Max.

"Max, honey, can you hear me?" I asked gently. On the screen, I saw Max's head snap up, looking for the source of my voice.

"…Fang?" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah," I said, with a relieved half-laugh, "Yeah, it's me."

"Fang, what's going on? I swear, if this padded cell is some sort of joke, I'm going tear your dick off," she threatened.

"Oh, Max, I wish I could tell you this was a joke," I said.

"Did you not explain to her what happened?" Ella asked the doctor.

On the screen, I saw Max's eyes narrow slightly. "Who's with you?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "My new wife, Max. I ditched you immediately and moved on."

"Fang, stop it," Ella said, leaning closer to the mike. "It's Ella, Max."

"Hey," Max replied. "Tell Fang he's an idiot."

"Fang can hear you," I said.

"Oh. Fang, you're an idiot," she said.

I took my finger off of the button and turned to Dr. Johnson. "Anyway, you didn't explain?"

Dr. Johnson shook her head. "We weren't sure if bringing up the incident would set her off again, and we wanted to give you a chance to talk to her."

I nodded. "Well, then thank you." I turned to the monitor and bit my lip, then asked, "Can I go in and see her? I want to explain it face-to-face."

Dr. Johnson frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. As I said, hearing about what happened may set her off again, and any physical contact, especially in a romantic sense…you understand?"

"Please," I insisted, "I promise I won't touch her, and I'm stronger than her. I'll be careful, and I can handle it if she loses it." Dr. Johnson pursed her lips. "Please?" I asked again.

She looked around. "Okay. But I'll get in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out, so keep it quiet, okay?"

I nodded and she unlocked the door. I stepped inside and it shut behind me.

There she was. Max. My beautiful, strong, warrior princess Max. She looked thin and pale, but not malnourished. It looked more like she sometimes refused to eat, rather than wasn't being fed. The second her chocolate-colored eyes locked on me, she started to run towards me. It took everything I had to hold up my hands and stop her. I wanted so badly to catch her and pin her to the wall as we kissed every inch of each other. I wanted to pull that thin hospital gown off of her and just have my way with her. This room was like a giant mattress, after all….

Max stopped, giving me a look that was both confused and hurt. "Fang? What's wrong?"

I gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Max. I'm just being careful. The doctor says you're still unstable."

She frowned. "Doctor? Fang, what's going on? How long have I been in this cell? I don't know why I'm here." She sat down, looking at me expectantly for an explanation.

I pushed my hand through my hair. "You've been in here for about five weeks. You haven't been yourself, Max. Well, not the recent you. You thought you were in the School. You yelled at Ella and called her a whitecoat. Angel said your thoughts sounded like static. The psychologists say it's PTSD."

"PTSD?" she asked.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder," I said.

She nodded sadly. "Five weeks. That's not so bad. Okay…so, if I'm so bad I need to be put in here, why don't I have a straightjacket or anything?"

"I told them not to bother," I said, "I figured you would just tear it off."

"Ah…so, wait, they know about my wings then!" she said, panicking.

"Yes," I began, "But it's okay. They promised to keep quiet. A lot of the doctors remembered us from when we were in the news all those years ago. Ella figured that the skin suit was a bad idea. She didn't want you thinking that the school had cut your wings off."

"Oh…I guess that makes sense," Max said. "How's Lexi doing?"

I looked at her. "She's doing okay. She misses you, and she doesn't understand why I won't let her come with me to see you."

Max wrinkled her eyebrows. "Why don't you?"

I took a moment to formulate my answer. "Because…because you're scary Max. Sometimes you scream and attack the walls, but what are really scary to me are the times where you just sit there and look sad. It's heartbreaking."

"How often did you come to see me?"

I shrugged. "Two, maybe three times a week. I would just pop in for a few minutes before heading home to Alexis."

Max smiled. "You just stood there and watched me on that monitor? Creeper."

I grinned back. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"You know me so well," she said happily. Then her mood dampened. She was quiet for a moment before she softly asked, "Fang…am I pregnant?"

"Yes," I answered just as softly.

Max looked like several tons of extra weight had suddenly been dropped onto her shoulders. "I know. I knew as soon as I woke up. My mouth tastes like old vomit and the baby is already moving."

"It's okay-" I started.

"No," Max cut in fiercely, "No, it isn't okay. I can't do this Fang. I can't live in this shack with a baby that I'll never be able to care for! It's them! It's these stupid whitecoats!"

_Uh-oh_, I thought. "Max-"

"You have to get me out of here, Fang," Max continued. Her eyes had become slightly unfocused, and the effect was startling. "Hurry, they'll catch us!" She started to move towards me.

"I-no Max, I can't," I said, stepping out of the room and shutting the door before I could do anything stupid, like agree.

"Fang!" I heard her cry from the monitor, "Fang, how could you? No…no, that wasn't even him, was it you sick bastards! Why would you do that, send in a clone, get my hopes up? You horrid monsters, what good does that serve, letting me-" I turned off the sound.

Dr. Johnson shook her head. "That's what I was afraid of."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely responding. Ella put a gentle hand on my back.

Dr. Johnson just looked at me. "No, I think it would have happened again eventually. Max would have tried to remember what had happened and probably set herself off again."

"So…there's no hope? Even if she becomes lucid she'll eventually fall back into her nightmare?" I asked, suddenly feeling even worse.

"We don't know that. We'll continue to watch her, of course. This may mean that the medicines are working. We'll try a few different things and we'll make sure you stay informed," Dr. Johnson assured me.

I nodded. "Okay. I guess that's all we can do."

"Thank you," Ella said. "We'll be in again soon."

"I'll keep an eye out," the doctor said. Ella and I left.

As we were driving home, Ella looked over at me and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

I looked at her, confused. "No, but I'm not hungry."

She raised one eyebrow and turned into a restaurant parking lot. "Well, too bad. We're eating dinner anyway. It will be a nice distraction."

"But I have to get back!" I protested as she parked. "Lexi is waiting for me!"

"Oh Fang, she'll be fine. Now come on, I'm paying."

"I definitely can't ask you to do that," I said.

"You're not asking, I'm telling," Ella said matter-of-factly.

I sighed. "You Martinez girls. There's no arguing with any of you."

"Now you're getting it," she grinned. "How many years of dating Max did it take you to figure that out?"

"About two weeks of just _living_ with her, way back when we were twelve," I said. We walked in and sat down.

"Tell me about that time…what does Iggy call it…the time in the E-house?"

"Yeah, it was…well, a house shaped like an E," I said. "Has Iggy not told you about it?"

Ella shrugged. "Yeah, some, but you can tell me different things. And you can tell me how it looked."

"Well, it overlooked a huge valley, filled with lush green trees in the summer and pure white snow in the winter. It was on the opposite side of the mountain from the nearest ski town, so no one ever saw us," I described. "There were cliffs and stuff for us to stretch our wings and clear hills for us to sled on in the winter." The waiter came by to drop off some menus and get our drink orders. I continued.

"It was fun at first when Jeb was there. He would bring us treats from the store and take us fun places and teach us to fly. Max and I were really competitive right off the bat. We always raced each other during flying practice. Sometimes she won, sometimes I won, and I think our competitiveness helped us become good really quickly.

"Then we'd have to slow down for Iggy. In order to teach him techniques we had to actually take his wings and hold them in the positions so he could get the muscle memory. Then, when he flew, we'd hover over him and adjust his wings if we needed to. After he learned to fly well enough, Jeb had him learn how to turn using clock positions, so he or Max could coach him in a fight," I explained.

Ella made a sad puppy look. "Poor Iggy. I'll bet he hated being treated differently like that. He hates when people act differently about his blindness."

I shrugged. "I think he was okay with it, seeing as the alternative was not really being able to fly."

Ella nodded. "So when did you teach the other kids?"

"Nudge started learning around the same time we did," I said. Then the waiter came back with drinks and we ordered our food. I took a sip of my iced tea and continued. "She just had to go a little slower than us, build up her stamina. Gazzy and Angel started learning just before Jeb left. He taught us to take them high up and drop them into open air so they would spread their wings. Having done it before really helped when it came time to teach Alexis," I said.

"How did you train her?" Ella asked.

I blushed lightly. "I threw her off of the training cliff."

Ella gaped at me for a second before she burst out laughing. "And Max was okay with that?" she asked as she giggled. She had a really pretty laugh….

"Uh, I didn't run it by her first," I admitted. "I figured she'd say no."

Ella giggled again, "Well no doubt. But I'm assuming it worked, seeing as Lexi isn't a pancake."

I shrugged, "I did what I had to."

Ella made a skeptical face, "Well, I doubt that's what you _had_ to do…."

"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm a terrible dad," I said.

Ella reached across the table and pushed my shoulder. "Hey, you're a great dad," she said. "You should see the way Lexi looks at you. You're her hero. And you're kind of like a dad to Tyler too."

I shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "A dad that leaves his daughter with the neighbors most of the time." Then something hit me. "Oh, that reminds me, I have to tell Meredith I'll be a little late."

"Don't worry, I already told her," Ella assured me.

"Oh, thanks," I said.

"No problem," she said. After a moment of silence, Ella asked, "When did you fall in love with Max?"

I took a deep breath and blew it out. "Oh, that's a tough one. Well, it started when we were about, oh, thirteen or so. It started small. It was just a crush at the beginning. I found myself admiring her strength and mothering skills. I was always thinking about her, and I realized I was crushing on my best friend. Believe me, when I first realized it, I was horrified."

"I'll bet," Ella said.

"But then I just accepted it. I hoped that maybe if I just ignored it I would move on."

Ella smiled. "Well, obviously not."

"Yeah, it didn't go away. It got worse. When I was fourteen I started having dreams about kissing her. _Just _kissing her," I added when Ella gave me a suggestive look. "Then the whole ordeal with Angel started and I fell head over heels. I saw her freak out about Angel and something about that intensity was magical. I couldn't help but wonder if she would act that way if _I_ was taken," I said. It suddenly occurred to me that I was pouring myself out to Ella, and I didn't know why. I never talked this much. But she made me fell so at ease.

I was interrupted from my thoughts and my story by the arrival of our food. I finished telling Ella about how the Fax relationship evolved. Then she told me about how she was interested in Iggy as soon as she saw him when we landed at their house the first time. She explained how impressed she always was with how he could do things so well that you wouldn't even know he was blind. She talked about him asking her out after I told them to get a move on. Then I heard all about their breakup and the douche-bag boyfriend she had during the break before they got back together.

After we paid, Ella insisted we walk across the street to get frozen yogurt. "Come on, Fang. Nothing finishes off a nice evening like fro-yo. And we've got time-"

"I wasn't protesting," I said, smiling.

"Oh," Ella said. "Well…"

I laughed as we walked. I had the sudden urge to grab her hand or put my arm around her as we walked, but I didn't. It suddenly occurred to me that this felt a _lot_ like a date. I pushed that feeling away. I mean, it wasn't. We both had a significant other already. After all, we had just spent our entire dinner talking about them.

Ella and I filled up our ice cream cups and sat down, stuffing our mouths with hot fudge and cherries and frozen delights. We were quiet for a while, just enjoying our treat while we listened to the stir of other people and the bass-heavy pop music from the speakers. I looked sideways at Ella to see her watching me with a look I was plenty used to (not to be vain). I felt the corner of my lips curve into a smirk.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, alerting her to the fact that I knew she was checking me out.

"Oh, I, uh, nothing!" Ella stammered, blushing. Then she caught the look on my face.

I decided to tease her. "Really?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow and flipping my hair slightly.

"R-really," she said, blushing harder.

My smirk widened and I leaned over, putting my arm on the back of her chair. "Are you sure?"

"Okay, you win!" she exclaimed, pushing me away, "You're hot, okay?"

"I know," I said, still smirking.

Ella rolled her eyes at me. "Well, you don't have to be such an asshole about it." Her blush was still fading.

I bumped her with my elbow. "I'm just teasing, Ella."

We finished our frozen yogurt and got in the car to head home. When we arrived, Ella stepped out of the car to tell me goodbye. I smiled at her. "Thank you Ella. I had a nice time."

"Me too," she said, holding out her arms for a hug. I obliged, wrapping my arms around her waist as she looped her arms around my shoulders. Then there was a strange moment of hesitation, where we began to let go but we both stopped. Our hug lasted a little longer than just a friendly hug. Once did pull away, Ella gave a small, nervous laugh. "Well…uh, I'll see you soon Fang."

"Bye," I said, as she hurriedly got into her car. I knew she had felt it too. I shook my head, going upstairs to get Lexi and go to bed. It was nothing. We had just spent so much time talking about our girlfriend/boyfriend that we were feeling a little romantic.

That had to be it.

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**So, yeah, I'm updating again! A big thanks to all of you still following my stories. As I said, I can't promise any regularity on updates, as I have school and stuff, but no worries. I _will_ be updating, that's for sure. So review, let me know what you think! And check out _An Enchanted Curse_, my other story.**

**Actually, on that note, my stories are winding down. Don't worry, I'm going to finish them, but this is the last major plot point in this story. However I will be making you all very angry again before this story is done. I can promise that. :)**

**Thanks guys! If you're still reading, make sure to review!**

**~BirdKidKirby**


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